Breath of Life
by Ace of House Slytherin
Summary: Sometimes things don't go the way they're supposed to, and sometimes people don't listen to reason. Hermione knows better than to trust in the Ministry, even if she works for them, so she takes it upon herself to make things right. By sponsoring Draco Malfoy, which sets in motion a chain of events that leads to saving one of the most notorious witches alive. Bellatrix Lestrange.
1. Dementor's Kiss

**A/N: So, the last thing I need is to start a new story, but things happen, my muse throws an idea at me and stubbornly refuses to cooperate until she gets what she wants (hence the delay on Monsters and BbtL). I have been trying to work on those chapters so I can update but my muse is being vey insistent about this so if I appease her maybe she'll let me write them. It isn't obvious now, but this is a Bellamione story (as if I would write anything else). It'll be more evident in the next chapter.**

**Anyway, some of you will be my loyal readers, and some will be new, but whoever you are, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

_I want to sleep, but I hear voices_

_(calling out)_

_I hear them calling out to me_

_(oh)_

_This winter kiss has left me poisoned_

_(left me here)_

_and I will never be the same again_

_Winter Kiss, _Young Guns

* * *

"How dare you let them block my testimony!" Hermione shouted at Kingsley.

"Hermione, please understand, there was nothing I could do," he said, attempting to calm her down.

"You and I both know that's bullshit. You didn't want to. You wanted to give them something so that you could keep their favor. The person who needed the most help, and you let them abandon her so you could keep your support. You're supposed to be better than that, Kingsley, that was the whole point!" Hermione refused to let herself be calmed by the large, peaceful man.

He opened his mouth to speak, surprised to find that he didn't have words. He sighed heavily. He knew she was right, she knew she was right, there was nothing to do about it. He hadn't tried to push Hermione's testimony through because the Wizengamot had made it clear they didn't want it. They wanted someone to blame. They needed someone to blame.

"There's nothing I can do now, the decision is made. It's irreversible."

"I don't think you want to do something about it," Hermione accused.

"Hermione. You do so much amazing work running the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and I admire your sense of justice, but you're going to make a lot of enemies if you continue to push as hard as you are. You have a lot of public influence, but that can only get you so far," Kingsley murmured, bringing a hand to his temple.

"This system is broken," Hermione hissed, stomping out of Kingsley's office.

* * *

Hermione watched the cloaked, skeletal figures descend upon the prone form of Bellatrix Lestrange, tearing her soul to pieces in turns. It was a gruesome sight, one she wished she didn't have to watch. Ron wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side against her will. She pulled away delicately, not appreciating- or wanting- the comfort he tried to provide. Harry stood on her other side, his green eyes fixated on the scene. Several Aurors were present as well, their wands drawn in case something went wrong. Andromeda was there too, holding Teddy against her chest, preventing him from seeing. Narcissa and Draco Malfoy stood some distance away, a group of Aurors to the sides and behind them. Narcissa was trying to hide the tears in her eyes, constantly fiddling with her robes and hair. Draco watched stoically, his jaw clenched tightly and his posture rigid.

"This is barbaric!" Hermione finally exclaimed, her face reddening, "She's done horrible things, but no one deserves this!"

"Hermione," Ron tried, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't," she hissed, glaring at him.

"Hermione," Harry tried, leaving his hands shoved in his pockets, "She tortured you. She killed so many people. It's for the best."

"You of all people should understand how terrible this is, Harry. It nearly happened to you. This," Hermione gestured to the scene in front of them all, "This is wrong. It's essentially a lobotomy! If that isn't legal in the Muggle world, then why is this legal here?"

Harry and Ron shared a helpless look, both feeling a little lost. They weren't sure what to do to calm Hermione down. They hadn't expected this type of reaction after everything Bellatrix had done, especially to her.

"Hermione, your friends are right, it's for the best," Andromeda said gently, "She can't hurt anyone this way."

"That's not for anyone to decide! What about her? She needed help and the entire world let her down! There are better ways to go about this," Hermione insisted.

The three shared a look, feeling a little guilty but nonetheless decided. The slight scene drew Narcissa and Draco's attention. Narcissa felt a brief lick of shame as Hermione defended her sister. She hadn't tried to stop this, to stop anything that had happened in the past twenty years, and here was Hermione, barely an adult, fighting for the life of the woman who had tortured her. She had done nothing to save her sister, just as she had done nothing when Andromeda had been banished. It hadn't been her place to act, but she should have made it her place. If she had, maybe things would be different. Maybe Andromeda wouldn't hate her, maybe Draco would have a normal life, maybe Lucius wouldn't be in Azkaban, and maybe Bellatrix wouldn't be receiving the dementor's kiss.

With as much poise as she could muster, she started toward the group.

"Mother, are you sure?" Draco whispered, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'll be okay, Draco," she whispered back with a soft smile.

As she approached the group, Aurors close behind, she caught their attention. Harry and Ron gave her a look of barely disguised distrust, and Andromeda kept her features schooled into a perfectly neutral expression. Hermione's eyes burned with curiosity, her brow still slightly wrinkled in frustration.

"May I speak with you privately, Miss Granger?" she asked, pouring grace and respect into her request.

Hermione cast a look at her friends and Andromeda, ignoring the slight shaking of their heads as she responded, "Sure."

Narcissa held out her arm, waiting for Hermione to grab it. The fierce young witch looked confused for a moment before she realized the purpose of the gesture. Gingerly, she placed her fingertips on Narcissa's bicep, allowing the blonde witch to guide her away from her group.

"First, I'd like to extend my sincerest apologies for what happened to you. For what I allowed to happen in my home. I cannot express the extent of the shame I feel having been a bystander throughout the war, but especially during that moment," Narcissa paused for a moment, organizing her words in her head, "And second, I'd like to thank you for defending my sister, even though she has done terrible things to everyone, including yourself. My sister was a complicated person, she gave up everything for us, and she paid the highest toll to keep us safe and happy. She has done many unforgivable things, but I am grateful that you believe she should have been helped instead of condemned."

"I- Thank you. I fought this every step of the way, I want you to know that. People aren't born evil, and everyone deserves a proper chance. I tried so hard to fight for hers. Even though she," Hermione couldn't bring herself to say the word, "Even though she hurt me, that doesn't mean I should respond in kind. I'm sorry you have to lose her. Losing family is always difficult."

"I'm always struck by how kind you are, Miss Granger. It means a lot that you would fight for her when I was unable to bring myself to do the same." Narcissa cast a sad glance at her sister, watching the dementors swoop over her, taking another piece of her soul.

"Hermione, please. I'm not a fan of titles," Hermione mumbled, trying to keep her gaze averted for the time being.

"Very well, Hermione. You are so young, and yet, you have so much wisdom and humility. I wish I had the fortitude to always stand by what I thought was right when I was your age, but I fear I am a product of my upbringing. I know I am in no position to request anything from you, but it would mean a lot to me if you would sponsor Draco. I understand if you wish to refuse, and I will not hold it against you, but he is not evil, just misguided by those he trusted. As was I," Narcissa said softly.

Hermione felt her cheeks color at the praise, managing to say, "I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Hermione. Even considering it shows more compassion than most." Narcissa nodded her head to Hermione, delicately extricating herself and taking up her previously vacated spot next to Draco.

Hermione turned to return to Harry and Ron, catching a glimpse of the last piece of Bellatrix's soul being torn away from her. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, as if something a long time ago had gone completely wrong. The sadness that overtook her was inexplicable, an emptiness she had never experienced before in her relatively short life. She had heard stories about Bellatrix from so many people, comparing her brilliance to Bellatrix's. Not for the first time, she wondered about the circumstances that led up to this moment.

"What was that about?" Ron scowled, sending a nasty look toward Narcissa and Draco.

"Nothing," Hermione mumbled, averting her eyes from the unmoving form of Bellatrix, "I need to speak with Kingsley."

Hermione shouldered past her friends, feeling uncertain about what the future had in store. Such a brilliant, if damaged, mind was rendered useless and it didn't sit well with her. She had tried so hard, but her testimony had been blocked, and she had been unable to do anything about it. In truth, Bellatrix's fate had been decided by the Wizengamot before her trial had begun, and if she had testified for rehabilitation, their decision would have been controversial, something the Ministry didn't want to deal with.

Navigating the Ministry of Magic was still foreign to Hermione, her mind wandering so much she often found herself in an entirely unfamiliar area. Today, she was lucky enough to end up where she wanted to be, something she was grateful for. She knocked softly on the heavy door, the sound louder than she had intended. The door swung open, revealing Kingsley attempting to create some semblance of order on his desk.

"Hermione, how are you?" he asked, pausing long enough to give her a cursory glance.

"I've been better. I just watched the," Hermione trailed off, gesturing uselessly with her hands. She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Yes, I know you were against that, and I am sorry you had to witness it. Where are my manners? Please, sit," he said distractedly.

Hermione hesitantly sat down opposite him, worrying her lip between her teeth. "Kingsley, what would sponsoring Draco entail?"

At her question, he paused his organizing to fix her with an incredulous look. "Well, you would either have to live at Malfoy Manor or he would have to move into your place for at least a year, and after that, you would have to meet regularly until he's deemed suitable to reenter society. You would be required to perform evaluations of his behavior and demeanor, and to report monthly to the Head Auror and Head of War Crimes. At least one Auror will be present at night, and at least two should you travel in public. He would not be allowed a wand until you make the recommendation and it is approved by the Head Auror, and the Head of War Crimes, and even then it will have very limited capabilities, for a time. You will also still be expected to complete your Ministry duties."

She mulled it over for a few more moments, contemplating the idea from every angle she could think of before finally announcing, "I'll do it. I'll sponsor Draco Malfoy."

Kingsley blinked in surprise, quickly composing himself. "Very well. I will inform the appropriate people. I'm sure it won't be long before the media catches wind of this, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm positive," Hermione asserted, her face hard.

Kingsley nodded, looking for a particular piece of parchment. While he did so, he conjured his patronus, instructing it to deliver a summons to Draco and Narcissa. Hermione sat in silence while she waited, watching Kingsley rifle through his office. By the time Narcissa and Draco arrived, he had given up the search and summoned it to him. Narcissa and Draco glanced at Hermione in surprise when they entered, feeling a little better about the subject of their summons. Hermione provided a small, polite smile, moving her chair over to make room for the two purebloods.

"Hermione has just informed me that she would like to sponsor Draco," Kingsley began slowly, "She will report regularly with accounts of your progress, and only upon her recommendation will your reinstatement of a wand and reentrance to society be considered, and it will be at least one year before she will be able to do so. For that period of time, she must either stay at Malfoy Manor or you must stay with her."

"She is more than welcome at Malfoy Manor, if she is comfortable with that, of course," Narcissa said, silently praying Hermione would be so she wouldn't lose Draco, too.

"The only place I have is in Muggle London, but I've been staying at the Burrow," Hermione mumbled, "So I'll have to be."

"At night, one Auror will be present, and two will accompany you whenever you leave the property," Kingsley continued.

"As long as it's someone impartial, Kingsley," Hermione said.

"I will do my best, of course," he complied.

"Is that everything?" Draco asked, feeling antsy.

"Just one more thing. A contract for the conditions that everyone must sign."

Narcissa delicately received the parchment from Kingsley, reading it with an arched brow before signing it. She passed it to Draco, the young man signing below his mother's signature after skimming it. He handed it to Hermione, who took one look at the words on the page and signed her name without appearing to read it. She handed it back to Kingsley, her heart fluttering in her chest, confirming that this was the direction she needed to take to set things right. If asked, she wouldn't be able to describe the feeling, and all she knew was that a semblance of "this is how things need to be" washed over her.

"One year from today," was all Kingsley said, effectively dismissing the three.

"Hermione, you have no idea how much it means to me that you would sponsor Draco," Narcissa whispered when they were outside.

"I know I've already apologized for everything, but I really am sorry for how I treated you, and I wish I had been able to go against my beliefs and done what was right," Draco said, rubbing the toe of his shoe against the polished floor.

"You did in the end. You both did. When it came down to it, you did what was right, and that matters more to me than everything else," Hermione said, leading the way to the floos. She had resolved to tell everyone when she collected her belongings, hoping she wouldn't face too much criticism.

"We can send a house-elf to collect your belongings," Draco offered.

"No, it's fine. I'll have to tell everyone and I'd rather do it in person so I don't get a bloody howler. May as well get it over with," Hermione mumbled bitterly.

"The blood wards are no longer in place, you should be able to apparate directly to the Manor," Narcissa informed her.

"I think I should go with you before I go to the Burrow. It's been a while since the last time I was there," Hermione said softly.

"Shall we, then?" Narcissa asked gesturing to the floo.

Hermione grabbed a handful of powder, hesitating before stepping in and announcing her destination. Green flames consumed her, and as she stepped into the foyer of Malfoy Manor, she couldn't help the small sneeze. Catching her bearings, she involuntarily froze as she looked around the room, her eyes drawn to the place Bellatrix had pinned her down. She couldn't help the surge of fear, the desire to run, as she stood immobile in the middle of the room. Draco and Narcissa appeared shortly after she did, both stopping and standing just behind Hermione, eyes glued to the floor. They all stood in silence, vividly remembering what had happened here. Hermione took a slow, controlled breath, trying to banish the memories she had. She knew this is what she had to do to get things on track, to fix what she felt was wrong. Doing this was the key to changing course so things happened the way they were supposed to. Hermione didn't know how she knew this, but she did, and she steeled herself for the struggles she knew were to come, prepared to face whatever came her way.

"Draco will show you to the guest wing. You may pick a room there, they are all unoccupied," Narcissa finally said, shaking them out of the past.

Hermione nodded, unable to tear her eyes from the spot as she followed Draco wordlessly. He led her, in silence, of course, through the corridors of the manor until they reached what Hermione presumed was the guest wing. Her eyes scanned the doors, walking up to one and considering it until deciding against it and moving on. Draco waited patiently as she did this for several minutes, finally choosing one after having stood in front of it for what felt to him like several minutes. She placed her hand on the knob, seeming to contemplate her decision again before twisting it and pushing open the door.

"Best not to let my mother hear you speak like that," Draco chuckled from the hall at Hermione's muffled swear.

"This is huge," Hermione breathed, stepping back into the hall, "Are they all like this?"

"That's actually the smallest one," Draco smirked.

"You're kidding," Hermione said dryly.

"Of course, they're all the same size," he laughed.

"It certainly beats the dungeons," Hermione commented, sending him a mirthful look.

Draco snorted, leaning against the wall. "Did you want a full tour before you get your things?"

"I think I should just get the screaming match over with," Hermione said, brushing her hair away from her face.

"I'll be sure to show you the library as soon as you return," Draco offered with a knowing grimace. He remembered the howler Ron had received in their second year.

Hermione gave him a grateful look, turning on her heel and apparating to the Burrow. She was greeted by a chorus of surprised exclamations, waving off the questions for the moment. She was too disoriented and the decision she had made suddenly sunk in as she prepared to confront Harry, Andromeda, and the Weasley family.

"I've come for my things," she announced, squaring her shoulders and standing tall.

She tried not to flinch as the volume in the wayward building doubled from the incredulous shouts and yelled questions filled the air. She waited until they all fell silent, eager for her explanation.

"I'm sponsoring Draco Malfoy for rehabilitation," was all she said.

Predictably, the room erupted again, everyone yelling over each other and the words becoming incomprehensible. Once again, Hermione stayed quiet, unwilling to waste an explanation when she knew they were too busy to listen.

"If you'll let me finish, this will all be much more efficient," she said when the noise finally died down again, "I'm sponsoring Draco for rehabilitation because it's the right thing to do, and I want to, and, as such, I am moving to Malfoy Manor for at least a year because those are the terms. My work at the Ministry will continue, and I've requested that neither Harry nor Ron be assigned to me because I don't feel like they're capable of putting their feelings aside. I've come for my things and to tell you in person and when you're ready to talk about this logically, you may owl me."

Hermione weaved through the gathered people, making her way up the crooked, twisted stairs to the room she shared with Ginny. She could hear a set of footsteps behind her, too light to be anyone but Ginny. A small smile formed on her face and she turned when she reached the landing, waiting for the younger witch.

"I'm sorry about Bellatrix. I know you were fighting hard for her, for what she did for you three. And I'm glad you aren't letting those stupid old farts ruin your goodness. Draco will do really well with you. I assume I'll be seeing him at work?" Ginny said when she reached the landing, leaning against the wall.

"Thanks, Gin. And yeah, he'll have to come with me to the Ministry when I go in. I'll need to figure something out for him to do so he doesn't feel useless or in the way. And thanks for having my back," Hermione said, leaning heavily on the wall next to Ginny.

"I'm sure we'll think of something. What kind of second in command would I be if I didn't have your back?" Ginny elbowed Hermione playfully, "Youngest witch to run a department in history, and you choose me to help you. You couldn't have made a better decision."

Hermione laughed softly casting a sideways glance at the fierce redhead. "You'd make a better Auror than Harry and Ron, which is why I had to steal you away as soon as you finished training. Couldn't risk damaging their egos and I need competence for my department to run as smoothly as it does."

"They were still pretty jealous," Ginny whispered with a smirk.

"They were, weren't they?" Hermione chuckled.

"To this day, I've never seen my brother so red," Ginny said between fits of laughter.

They doubled over from the force of their laughter, doing their best to stifle it. Every time they composed themselves, they would catch a glimpse of the other and start all over again. Shaking her head, Hermione pushed off the wall, heading the rest of the way to Ginny's room. Even though she hadn't been on the run for three years, her belongings were scarce. With a simple wave of her wand, they packed themselves into her bag, the charmed object landing in her outstretched hand.

"See you at work, 'Mione," Ginny said, giving the witch a quick hug.

Hermione nodded, returning the hug and turning on her heel as soon as the embrace was broken.

* * *

"So, this is the most important room in the manor to you," Draco said, pushing open the oak doors leading to the library, "And I know if I'm ever looking for you, to check here first, because you're probably never going to leave.

Hermione's mouth fell open at the expanse of books ahead of her. She exhaled in awe, immediately forgetting she wasn't alone as she began running her fingers lightly over the spines. Her fingers tingled with latent magic, stopping and pulling out a book that gave her a particularly strong sensation. Standing there, she pried it off the shelf and opened it to the first page, losing herself in the text. At Draco's soft chuckle, awareness flooded her system, and her head snapped up, an apology on her lips.

"I knew you'd like it, but I didn't think you'd forget to sit down. You can help yourself to anything in this room, but I don't think anyone would be able to stand between you and this room, even if they were stupid enough to try," Draco smirked before she could say anything.

Hermione chuckled, settling into a chair and getting comfortable before she delved into the book's pages. She flicked her wrist in the direction of the fireplace, causing flames to crackle to life and illuminating the room in an orange glow. She was already too lost to the world to notice it.


	2. New Beginnings

**A/N: Hello, my wonderful audience! It seems I've broken quite a few hearts with just the first chapter, and I'm back to do it again! Just kidding. Sort of. It certainly breaks my heart to write this, but I promise it won't always be this way. Trust me. Feel free to curse me out for writing such heartbreaking stuff (I deserve it), but I'm just happy my writing is doing its intended purpose. I don't want to break your hearts, but it's necessary for the story, which I've been slightly obsessing over since the idea struck me. My point is, the goal of writing is to make you feel, so if my writing isn't doing that, then I'm failing. So, I hope you're all ready to feel again, and I hope you're all doing well. **

**Thanks for your early support, it means more than I can describe and keeps me motivated to continue.**

* * *

_Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream_

_Make her the cutest that I've ever seen_

_Giver her two lips like roses and clover_

_And tell her hat her lonely nights are over_

_-Mr. Sandman, _SYML

* * *

Everything felt so far away, like she was experiencing the world wrapped in plastic and also underwater, like when a gloved hand is submerged. She felt like she should've been able to move her body, but her limbs felt like they weren't hers. She was a spectator in her body, unable to do anything to act on the world outside of her subconscious. Bellatrix wasn't stupid, she knew she had received the Dementor's Kiss, faintly remembered it, even. She shivered, well, she would have, if she had any bodily control. It had been to protect her family, she had condemned herself to this long ago. She always knew if Voldemort lost, she would be punished, even if she helped the Order win. No one would believe her, not that she was surprised.

The insanity had helped, when those foul Dementors descended upon her, extracting the already shredded pieces of her soul. They tore those layers away, until there was nothing left. But that wasn't quite true. Bellatrix was still here, hiding within the depths of her mind, under all the insanity she had built up as protection. She always knew the day would come where she would be kissed. It didn't hurt to be prepared, even if she had no way out of her mind and back to her body. At least she was herself again. At least her sisters were safe.

* * *

Hermione spent most of her time at Malfoy Manor in the library, pouring over tomes she had never heard of before. Even as busy as she was, she still made time every day to read, something that baffled Draco. The few books he had tried to read over the years had been dreadfully dry and archaic, and he had not taken to them at all. If they hadn't been so rare, he might've just gotten rid of them. As it was, the collection was a symbol of prestige, one that seemed worthless now. Still, he understood Hermione's quest for knowledge of any kind. He had never seen knowledge wielded with as much grace and dexterity as Hermione did. It was a finely honed weapon, sometimes more powerful than her wand, which was nothing to trifle with, either.

Draco enjoyed being at the Ministry with Hermione. She explained to him what she was currently working on, as much as she could, since some of it was classified. The people were nice enough to him, though he suspected it was more due to the fact that Hermione could be rather terrifying.

At this particular moment, the entire department was silent, almost holding their breath and looking at Hermione expectantly. The witch in front of her was oblivious to the imminent danger as she prattled on about how upset she was that someone of Hermione's standing would sponsor someone like Draco. Hermione remained silent through her tirade, her eye twitching as the woman gestured in Draco's direction angrily. Draco felt his ears redden in shame and regret, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"So, what you're telling me is that you disapprove of my decision to assist in the rehabilitation of a young man who was misguided by the people he believed he could trust? Do you not think he deserves a chance? Do you think he is evil because the people in his life were evil? Do you think he's incapable of being good? Do you see me as an incapable witch? Should someone of my standing not help other people? Witches and wizards who refuse to adapt and give people a chance are the reason there was a war, to begin with," Hermione said, stepping closer to the witch, even as she stepped back.

She didn't speak loudly, but her voice carried through the department easily. The witch opened and closed her mouth several times, seeming like she was about to say something and thought better of it every time.

"If there's anything else?" Hermione said, barely masking the annoyance in her voice.

The woman shook her head timidly, turning to leave the department and the Ministry altogether. Embarrassment painted her face red and she kept her gaze on the floor the whole time. As soon as Hermione turned to her staff, they immediately resumed working, the regular noise occupying the space once more. Hermione beckoned Ginny over, the redheaded witch taking long strides to her friend and boss.

"What's up, boss?" Ginny asked casually as soon as Hermione was in earshot.

"Can you schedule the training field for tomorrow afternoon. I don't care if the Aurors have it booked, special training takes priority. I'll deal with the Auror department if they cry about it. Make sure all the field agents get the memo. And I have a meeting with Kingsley, could you supervise Draco? He won't be a bother just give him a book or find some low-security cases he can accompany you on. And for the love of Merlin, please send the interdepartmental memo on my desk before I have a chance to forget again," Hermione said, holding out her hand to catch her blazer as it flew toward her.

"Sure thing, 'Mione," Ginny said making to leave.

"Oh! One more thing. If you see Harry and Ron in here at all I want to be notified immediately so I can take the issue up with their supervisor, even if I'm in the middle of the meeting."

Ginny chuckled, giving her a mock salute as she made her way toward Draco, grabbing the young wizard by the arm and leading him to her office. Hermione pulled on her jacket as she strode to the elevator. She ran the department well enough alone, but she was so glad Ginny was there to help. As the elevator lurched in almost every direction imaginable, and a couple of directions that weren't, Hermione thought about the moments that had led to her being where she was. Being a war hero, of course, had done wonders for her career, just as it had for Harry and Ron. Unlike her two best friends, she had decided to finish Hogwarts and managed to complete her Auror training at the same time, too. It hadn't been easy, but she had certainly accomplished harder things. She rose through the Auror ranks faster than Harry and Ron, causing some animosity, before transferring directly to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as a field agent. Once again, she had soared through the ranks, and Kingsley had offered her the position as its Head when the previous one had decided to retire. She had accepted on the condition that she choose her deputy, to which he had agreed. She had been keeping a close eye on Ginny since she heard about her possible promotion- from the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement himself- and knew she would be the perfect fit. That had caused the animosity between her and her friends to flare up again and caused animosity between Ginny and Ron and Harry. They had worked past it for the most part, until Hermione decided to sponsor Draco. She wondered, as the elevator came to a stop, how many more times Harry and Ron would find a stupid reason to be mad at her. Hermione straightened her clothes before walking into Kingsley's office, composed as she always tried to be.

"Ah! Hermione! As punctual as ever!" Kingsley greeted as she walked into his office.

"Minister," she greeted with a nod, taking a seat across from him when he gestured to her to do so.

"How are things going?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of tea and offering some to her.

"No, thank you. Things are well enough, though the number of people I've had to tell off is starting to irritate me. Draco is an exceptional young man and has shown true remorse for his actions during the war. And my room in the Manor is very comfortable," Hermione said.

"That's good to hear. There is another reason I asked for a meeting, though. There's been an incident with some of the inmates at Azkaban. Before you get angry, this information is brand new, it just came in this morning. The details aren't there, the testimony was unreliable, but I need you to pick a small squad to investigate and deal with the issue, whatever it may be. I hate to send a team in blind, but there's no telling what they'll face, if its an inmate, or dementors, or guards, so they need to be discrete, effective, and impartial," he conveyed.

"I'll see to it immediately," Hermione assured him.

"Thank you, Hermione. That was all," he said, dismissing her.

The wheels in Hermione's head turned as she pondered who to send. She had already decided she would go, she would never send anyone in blind if she wasn't there, which meant Ginny would stay behind and take care of the department and Draco. Luna was always a reliable field agent, even if she was still as quirky as always, which often helped in these situations. Hermione entered the elevator, numb to the rapid speed and direction changes it took as she thought. She could pull Neville from his department for the day since this was the highest priority assignment and she had the authority to. His skill had improved remarkably over the years, and he was stalwart even in the face of danger, something he had grown into in the years they had all attended Hogwarts. Normally, she would've also sent Harry and Ron, but she wasn't sure they could be impartial enough, and she was pretty sure they would still be mad at her. Hawkins was still technically a rookie, but she had been watching him closely and thought he had a lot of potential. His work was solid and he had proved to have good judgment and the kind of impartialness she often looked for in her field agents.

As she exited the elevator, she sent a Patronus to each of them, summoning them for immediate briefing in her office and giving them temporary permission to apparate directly to her. As she took long strides toward her door, she transfigured her outfit into something suitable for field-work, smirking at the whispers she left in her wake. Hermione loved being in the field and took every opportunity she could to accompany teams. This garnered the respect and trust of her field agents because they knew she would never send them on a mission she herself wouldn't go on.

"Ginny, level four incident, I need you to take care of things until I get back or until your shift is over. Do not wait for me here, please take Draco home and supervise him there. Sorry about leaving you, Draco, but I won't send a squad in blind unless I'm with them. Ginny is the only one I trust to watch you and she's the only other person who can run the department in my stead," Hermione said as she adjusted her collar and bracers.

"That's okay, I know it's your job. Good luck," he said.

"I need the room, please, and I'll send a message as soon as I'm back," Hermione said, as Neville, Luna, and Hawkins appeared in the room with a _pop_.

"Don't forget this time," Ginny said as she guided Draco to her desk.

"I PROMISE," she shouted, turning to her gathered squad, "We have to conduct an investigation in Azkaban. Something happened, I don't know what, so basically we're going in blind."

"Splendid," Neville said sarcastically but with a grin on his face.

"Wait, we don't know anything?" Hawkins asked, his face paling slightly.

"Don't worry, Agent Hawkins, Hermione always takes care of her team," Luna said, smiling at them dreamily.

"We apparate in pairs, we search as a team, no splitting up, wands out, Patronus at your side at all times. You answer to me, not the Warden, and his office will be our point of entrance and exit. We search floor by floor and the second something seems wrong, say it. Clear?" Hermione informed them.

"Clear," they chorused.

Hawkins grabbed Hermione's outstretched forearm, and Hermione apparated them away when Neville nodded that they were ready. They appeared in the Warden's office, followed a second later by Neville and Luna.

"Warden," Hermione greeted, "We are here to conduct an investigation, if you intervene, you will be arrested for obstruction of justice. Do not inform the Aurors on duty and hold the shift change until we clear the building."

"Yes, of course, Miss Granger," he said, drawn out of his paperwork-induced haze when they arrived.

They moved through the prison slowly and methodically, Hawkins and Hermione in the front and Neville and Luna walking backward behind them. For hours they worked in silence, only broken when they questioned the Aurors on duty. Despite there being no indication that anything happened, they continued to tirelessly search the prison, staying alert for anything out of the ordinary. They had no concept of the time, or how long they had been there, but they cleared each floor without complaint, searching thoroughly for anything amiss. It wasn't until they reached one of the lower floors- nearly the bottom- that they heard something suspicious. Indecipherable sounds echoed through the halls and they all exchanged a look. Hermione inclined her head in the direction she thought it was coming from, waiting for her team's nod of agreeance before heading in that direction.

The sounds grew louder as they approached, the echo still distorting the nature of it. They moved slowly, with caution, as quietly as possible. The sounds of laughter and sobs grew clearer, and Hermione was struck by the vague familiarity of both sources of sound. She peered into the cell to her right, seeing nothing and moving to the next. Hawkins peered into the cell next to him, startling as the prisoner inside suddenly let out a loud scream. The rookie jumped, an audible gasp escaping his throat against his will.

"Who's there?" a voice Hermione was now able to place asked.

"Hermione Granger, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, accompanied by Agents Longbottom, Lovegood, and Hawkins. Exit the cell with your hands in the air, Cormac," she answered, her voice echoing strangely off the walls.

"Well, well. Been a while, Hermione," he said, slowly approaching the bars of the cell to exit.

"Auror McLaggen, you're under arrest for abuse of an authoritative position resulting in harm of another person," Hermione said, her wand leveled at the wizard.

"You're joking," he said with a laugh of disbelief, "After everything he's done you're going to detain me for giving him what he deserves?"

"You are an Auror, it is not your job to enact what you see as justice," she reminded him.

" He deserves it," he hissed, "They all do."

"That is not for you to decide. Are you going to cooperate?"

He glanced at the three Agents by her side, seeming to weigh his options. With a sigh, he exited the cell, keeping his hands in clear view as he did. Just before they detained him, he reached for his wand and threw a blind stunner in their direction, sprinting down the hall. Hermione easily deflected the stunner, immediately taking off after him, her squad close behind. She cast a protego, his poorly aimed stunners bouncing harmlessly off it. He ducked under one that reflected at his head, stumbling enough for Neville and Luna to both cast an incarcerous and hit him. He fell face-first, ropes around his knees and arms. His wand clattered to the floor, and he squirmed in an attempt to free himself. The ropes just tightened against his struggling.

"Hawkins, go with Luna and check on the prisoner. We'll request a few healers from St. Mungo's in the morning if it's nothing serious and they'll check everyone out," Hermione directed, leaning down to scoop up Cormac's wand.

The two agents nodded, hastily moving back to the cell Cormac had been in when they found him. They returned in a few minutes, jogging back to Hermione and Neville.

"Nothing we could find," Luna reported when Hermione was in earshot.

"Lucky for you, Cormac, but I'll see to it that you never work in the Ministry again, and that's if you don't end up in here," Hermione said, "Levicorpus."

They made their way back to the Warden's office, Luna and Neville leading the way and Hermione and Hawkins bringing up the rear. Their progress was much faster this time, luckily for them, because their Patronuses had dimmed considerably. Hermione's flickered in and out of existence, the drain on her magic making her exhausted. At last, they reached the Warden's office and Hermione let Cormac's body hit the ground with a _thump_.

"Auror McLaggen is suspended indefinitely, pending the formal report and the decision of the Minister. You are responsible for informing the Auror department of the shortage. You can now conduct a shift change," Hermione told the Warden wearily.

He nodded, and she gestured to Neville and Luna to take Cormac to the holding cells, handing his wand to Luna. Hawkins offered his forearm and she gratefully took it, the pair stumbling slightly when they appeared in the Ministry.

"Sorry, I usually don't do side-alongs," Hawkins apologized after getting his bearings.

"I'm sure it would've ended much worse if I had apparated us," Hermione chuckled, "Report by the end of the day tomorrow, include your memory of the events and a record of the spells you cast. It's a little different from your usual reports, so if you have any questions, just ask me, and do try to be here before lunch."

"Why did you ask me to come? I don't feel like I helped much," Hawkins asked, shifting on his feet awkwardly.

"You did help. You had our backs, you weren't jumpy, you responded appropriately to each situation we encountered. It was a test. Congratulations, you're no longer a rookie," Hermione said with a sly smile, offering him a wave of farewell as she made her way to the floo.

She grabbed a handful of the green powder, ducking her head as she entered and announcing her destination before letting it fall from her grasp. She tripped as she emerged in the Malfoy foyer, catching herself just in time. Strong slim arms engulfed her, and she chuckled into red hair.

"It's all good," Hermione said, "I just finished up."

"I was getting worried, I thought you'd've been done hours ago," Ginny said, pulling away from Hermione, "I can't wait to read the report."

Hermione laughed, catching sight of Draco and Narcissa. "I'll tell you about it in the morning. Go get some sleep, you'll be going to Azkaban tomorrow."

"Hermione, would you like some dinner?" Narcissa asked, her motherly instincts kicking in as she surveyed her for injuries, "Miss Weasley is welcome to stay, she's been great with Draco."

"Yeah, she's really cool, you should dump me with her more often," Draco smirked, "She knows so much more about Quidditch than you do."

"You guys didn't already eat?" Hermione asked, glancing between the three of them.

"We were too worried," Ginny whispered to her.

"Then, sure, let's eat," Hermione laughed.

Narcissa gestured for them to go through the doors in front of her, the quartet seating themselves at the too-large table. As soon as they were settled in their chairs, food appeared on the table and Hermione felt her mouth water at the sight and smell of it. No matter how many times it happened, it always made her feel like she was back in the Great Hall.

* * *

Hermione stood outside one of the doors in the Guest Wing of Malfoy Manor. She couldn't explain why she felt drawn to it, but she was. She had no business snooping around a house that wasn't hers, and she had no reason to think there was any danger, but she couldn't help her curiosity. It had drawn her to it every night, and she always resisted the urge to open the door and look inside. So, she stood there, a faint glow illuminating the wood of the door. Hermione chewed her lip. She wanted to know, but she could never betray another person's privacy by entering. She got the feeling if she knocked, she would never receive an answer, and it wasn't her place to ask Narcissa or Draco, no matter how much she wanted to know.

"Hermione?" a soft voice asked, muffled footsteps drawing closer.

"Narcissa! I- I'm sorry, I wasn't going to go in, I just- I don't know," Hermione stuttered, her cheeks reddening at the fact that she had been caught.

"You've come here every night since you started staying here," Narcissa said, a playful smile on her face.

"I don't know why," Hermione mumbled, looking from the door to the blonde witch.

"My sister is in that room," she said, as if that answered all of Hermione's questions.

Hermione's mind spun for a second. Andromeda and Narcissa weren't on speaking terms, which left...

"Bellatrix." The word was barely more than a breath, and Hermione felt the fingers of her left hand twitch as she said it.

"Yes. After she was given the kiss, she needed somewhere to be so she would be cared for. Andromeda would never have done it, even though Bellatrix protected her until the end, and I could not bear to leave her in the hands of St. Mungo's. I've lost everyone but Draco, I couldn't completely lose my sister, too," Narcissa explained, her throat tightening against her will as she spoke.

"She gave me clues. About how to win. Without her help, I think we would've lost," Hermione said, her eyes locked on Narcissa's.

"You can go in, Hermione. I know you won't hurt her. You're probably the only one who sees her for who she is," Narcissa mumbled, turning and walking away from Hermione.

Hermione watched the receding figure of Narcissa Malfoy until she was engulfed by the darkness of the hallway, a small frown on her face. After several moments, she placed her hand on the knob of the door, a strange tingle working its way down her spine. She hesitated, finally giving in to her curiosity and opening the door. With a deep breath, she stepped into the dark room, a faint light spelling itself into existence when she crossed the threshold. Her eyes fell on the supine figure of Bellatrix, beautiful even in her death-like state.

Bellatrix's limited awareness felt the prickle of a presence in her room, different from that of her sister or nephew. It confused her, because so far, they had been the only ones to spend any time wherever she was. Malfoy Manor, she assumed, since no one else had ever entered. But now, now she wasn't too sure. The presence was vaguely familiar, but she was unable to conjure up the name. All she knew was she had encountered it a few times before.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she heard, the words distorted as if she was underwater, listening to someone speak to her. The voice was definitively feminine, but she couldn't quite place it. She recognized it, though. Narcissa and Draco never talked to her when they were here, and it was a struggle for her to push through the depths of her mind enough to listen, but she wanted to, even though she hadn't wanted anything to do with the outside world since the dementor's kiss. She existed in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness, unable to move her body and only perceiving things that weren't prolonged.

"I tried to stop them because you helped us," the voice continued.

"_They needed to condemn someone, it may as well have been me_," Bellatrix thought in response.

"You deserved a chance, but you never got one. It could've been any of the other Death Eaters, it could have been all of them, but they wanted it to be you. You were his second, but you never wanted to be, did you?" it asked rhetorically.

"_No. I didn't. I wanted a normal life. I had to so I could protect them. My sisters. My family._" Bellatrix didn't know why she wanted to respond to the voice. She didn't know why she felt the urge to answer. She had already decided to be content with her fate.

"I don't think I ever got a chance to thank you for your help. I wish I had, I wish I could've saved you, like you saved me." The voice was louder, as if it had moved closer.

"_There was never any hope for me_," Bellatrix thought sadly.

"Thank you, Bellatrix, for telling me how to win," it whispered.

Bellatrix was suddenly struck with why the voice was so familiar. "_Hermione. I knew you could do it. I always knew you could win._"

She wished she could speak. She wished she could push her way out of her mind and say those words. She wished she could, but she couldn't. Hermione's presence grew distant, until Bellatrix couldn't sense it anymore.

"_Please don't go,_" she thought desperately, a single tear escaping her eye and running down her cheek, "_Please come back._"


	3. Invisible Progress

**A/N: Well, well, well. Guess who's back to break more hearts! I just can't help myself from bringing my wonderful readers (a.k.a. you) all the feels. All of them. There's some nice stuff in this chapter in so many ways. I had this chapter ready way sooner than I anticipated (but don't get used to it, my muse is not reliable). It's only been a few days, but I hope you're all doing well. Thanks for your support and motivation, you are all amazing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Am I just a ghost in my own machine?_

_In a sandbox in the entropy?_

_Some reality got ahold of me_

_And I don't think I'll escape_

_Am I too attached to a memory?_

_Stuck in my head for eternity_

_Am I in a dream or the in between?_

_-Waking Up, _Starset

* * *

"How are you feeling, Draco?" Hermione asked as the two ate breakfast in the library.

"More normal than I've ever felt, even though things aren't exactly normal. I've been thinking a lot about how I was raised, and I know that isn't an excuse, but I don't think I ever understood how wrong my actions were until I was marked as a Death Eater. I didn't have much of a choice to be anything else, and once I was one, I was stuck. If I had done anything to defy him, even before he marked me, I think he would've hurt my mother. I was always afraid of that, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. And I'm grateful to you for helping me. For giving me a chance to change," he said, alternating between bites of food, sips of orange juice, and speaking.

"What is your biggest regret from the war?" Hermione asked after taking a few notes.

"I wish I had the courage to stand up to it when it began," he answered, looking down in shame, "Can I ask what yours was?"

Hermione paused, unsure of what to say. She regretted a lot of what happened and a lot of things that she had done. Her part in the war was more central than Draco's. Even if she was on the winning side, they used questionable methods to achieve victory. _She_ had used questionable methods.

"I wish I had put it all together sooner, maybe fewer people would've died. On both sides," she admitted quietly, "You know what you did was really brave, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"When the snatchers brought us in, you lied. You knew who we were. If you hadn't he would've been summoned immediately, we would've never escaped and Bellatrix never would've had the opportunity to give me information, even though she had to hurt me to do that. And at the battle, you stopped fighting against us, even though it meant you would lose either way. That's incredibly brave, Draco," she explained, absently rubbing her arm.

"But if I had-"

Hermione cut him off sharply, "You can't change what happened, Draco, and it isn't all your fault. The war would've happened whether any of us were there or not. Don't waste your time wishing you could change things, I only asked because I have to, but it's a stupid question. We can't change what we've done, but we can learn from it. That's the point of this."

He sighed, unable to admit aloud that she was right, even though he knew she was. She almost always was. Still, most of the time he couldn't help but think about what happened, and how things might be different if he had done things differently.

"I think that's enough for now," she said after his prolonged silence, "We should leave soon."

"I'll wait for you in the foyer," Draco said, taking her empty plate and cup from the table.

"Thank you. I'll be down soon," she said, brushing past him and taking the stairs two at a time.

Her gait slowed as she passed Bellatrix's door, still drawn to it for some inexplicable reason. She shook her head, hoping the motion would shake off the feeling she had. She didn't entirely understand it, but she wanted to go in again. She thought she had said everything there was to say, but she still felt the urge to just talk to someone, even if they couldn't hear her. Or maybe because they couldn't. Hermione struggled with herself as she changed into work clothes, grabbing her wand from the nightstand and hurrying down the stairs, trying not to glance at Bellatrix's door as she passed. She was unsuccessful, and the strong urge to blow off work for the day overtook her for a moment before she realized and quickly admonished herself for thinking such a thing.

Draco stood by the floo, his hands behind his back but his posture relaxed. He turned to the doorway as Hermione entered the room, offering a small smile and gesturing for her to go first. Hermione always went through the floo first, and she never seemed to doubt that Draco would be right behind her, even the first time they had gone to the Ministry. There wasn't anyone to force him, and it would be relatively easy for him to do whatever he wanted, but he respected Hermione too much. She never made him feel bad about what he had done, in fact, she usually made him feel better, and she always saw the good in him, even when he struggled to see it himself.

Hermione emerged through the floo, followed immediately by Draco, and quickly set off to her office. She felt like she wasn't on time, and she was running a little later than normal, but she had stayed well past her usual time the day before, so it was slightly excusable. Draco still had a hard time keeping up with her (surprisingly) fast pace, even with his long legs. When the elevator stopped at Hermione's department, they almost missed it, as Hermione never knew when it would be her stop and she was unable to tear her thoughts from Bellatrix's door, or rather, the fact that she had entered last night instead of standing outside for hours and then thinking better of it. It was only at a nudge from Draco that she realized and was able to propel herself the rest of the way to her office, taking great satisfaction that most of her department had already arrived and were hard at work.

Ginny was waiting for her as soon as she entered her office, a fairly common occurrence. She gestured to Draco to sit in one of the chairs in the room- she didn't care which- and turned her attention to her second-in-command.

"I went ahead and confirmed the training field reservation for the special training this afternoon, and I went ahead and took care of the Head Auror for you. The Department of Mysteries sent a response to your memo; I put it in the top left drawer before I left yesterday. You also got an owl from someone, and I put that letter in the bottom right drawer after I made sure it wasn't anything sinister. I sent an agent to guard Cormac so Luna could get some rest before training, and I sent a message to St. Mungo's, they'll be sending five healers over around lunch. I've already chosen which agents to take with me," Ginny said, shifting from Hermione's desk to the chair across from Hermione while the young witch threw her jacket over the back of her chair and got settled.

"Honestly, I don't even know what the department needs me for," Hermione joked, "Thank you, Ginny. I really appreciate your help."

"You can pay me in juicy details about what happened," Ginny said, her grin taking up almost the entire lower part of her face.

Hermione opened the top center drawer of her desk, pulling out a small vial while she extracted the memory from her head, tapping her wand against the glass a few times to get every bit of it before handing it to Ginny. "Go crazy."

"Thanks, boss," Ginny said with a wink, moving to Hermione's Pensieve and immersing herself in the memory.

Hermione decided to start the morning with her report, wanting to get it out of the way while it was still relatively fresh. Normally, she wouldn't have gone home until it was finished, but the last few times she had done that, Ginny had gotten mad at her for being such a workaholic. She made a record of everything she had cast, from the moment her feet were in the Warden's office to the moment Cormac was transferred to Luna and Neville for transport to the holding cells. She then began to detail every moment of the mission, including her briefing with Kingsley and assembling her squad. Since Ginny was in the room, she had asked her a few questions while she was reviewing the memory, just to be sure she had recorded everything correctly. It took the better part of the morning, and before she knew it, Ginny was leaving to prepare for Azkaban. Draco had stayed in his chosen chair in the corner of the room, out of the way and immersed in a book on Magical Creatures Luna had loaned him a few days ago. He hadn't gotten a chance to read it before now, but he was thoroughly enjoying it.

A rap on Hermione's door drew both their attention, the brunette voicing her approval for the unknown person to enter. She was a little distracted while the door opened, but she spared a glance at whoever had knocked and beckoned them to sit before finishing her task. When she focused her attention on Hawkins, he held out a folder with a vial bound to it.

"Would you mind looking through and making sure I did it correctly?" he asked, fighting the desire to shake his leg up and down. He was a full-fledged agent now, there was no room for nerves.

"Of course," she answered, taking it with a smile.

Draco turned his attention back to his book, aware that he was not to be privy to the information. Much of Hermione's work was sensitive and it was only when _The Daily Prophet _reported on things that he was able to ask. He understood the need for secrecy and was content to turn his attention away, even if he was physically present. Hermione flipped through Hawkins's report, making notes where he needed to correct things with a little explanation next to it before handing it back.

"I've made a note of everything that needs to be fixed, but it was very good for the first time. I had to redo my first one so many times because I kept putting in unimportant information. When you finish it, bring it back and I'll look over it again before I send it up to Kingsley."

Hawkins nodded, heading back to his desk. Hermione returned her attention to her own report, attaching the memory vial to it before sealing it and placing it in the top right drawer of her desk. She glanced over at Draco, nearly halfway through his book now, and pulled the memo from the Department of Mysteries out of the drawer Ginny put it in. She crumpled it into a ball when she finished reading it, an annoyed expression on her face as she spelled it into ashes over the bin.

"_Bullshit they can't experiment on the effects of prolonged proximity to dementors,_" she thought angrily.

Draco peered over the pages of his book at Hermione, unconsciously scooting further from her when he noticed the expression on her face. Hermione chose that moment to take a break for lunch, not wanting to risk ruining her mood further with the other letter. She could only think of a few people who would owl her, but she had no idea why they would send it to the Ministry. Still, she didn't want to deal with it at the moment, so she decided to save it for later.

Narcissa had taken to sending both Hermione and Draco with lunch every day, remembering the food quality from Lucius's days at the Ministry. Hermione had almost grown used to it, but it was still strange when Hermione thought about how motherly the blonde witch was. She was comparable to Molly, something that had shocked Hermione the first few days at the Manor. She was glad that Narcissa wasn't as cold and unfeeling as she had unjustly thought her to be because it would have made for an awkward and uncomfortable year. As it was, Narcissa was actually very warm and caring, she just tempered her emotions more than Molly, which greatly relieved Hermione. She loved Molly and all the Weasleys, but most of them possessed the inability to remain calm when they were experiencing strong emotions and it was difficult for Hermione to handle in extended doses. There had been many times that she had snuck out to her parent's empty house just to have a break from it all. Sometimes she took Ginny with her, sometimes she went alone, but she never stayed gone long enough to draw attention to herself.

"Boss, I'm back. Everyone is all cleared and Neville asked me to bring this to you when I saw him in the elevator. Luna was coming in right when I was getting back, headed straight for the training field. They both looked pretty tired. Luna more than Neville, but still," Ginny said as she entered Hermione's office without knocking, dropping the file Neville gave her on Hermione's desk.

"I'll tell their departments I'm giving them time off until Wednesday to rest. Remind me first thing Monday to start putting together a team to investigate the Auror department. I don't want another incident." Hermione mumbled distractedly, not quite finished with her thoughts. She placed the file in the top right drawer with the other one.

"Who should I send to guard Cormac during training?" Ginny asked, making a mental note to remind Hermione.

"I'll take care of it, go ahead to the training field," Hermione said, her attention fully on work.

"Draco, you wanna come with me?" Ginny asked, waiting at the threshold for a response.

He glanced at Hermione, deciding it would be more fun to go with Ginny. "I'll join you."

* * *

Once again, Hermione found herself standing at Bellatrix's door. Her eyes had long since memorized the patterns in the wood, and as she hesitated with her hand on the knob, her eyes traced them. She had a hard time resisting the urge to enter, and she wasn't entirely sure why she was trying, except that she still felt like it was invasive. Even with Narcissa's permission, it felt like a violation of Bellatrix's privacy. She hadn't felt like an intruder last night though, and with that in mind, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. Light spelled itself into existence as soon as she entered and Hermione surmised Narcissa must have had it enchanted to do so. Hermione closed the door behind her, standing awkwardly in the middle of the available space, looking around the room. She felt more comfortable in this room than she was sure she was supposed to, and that made her uncomfortable.

Bellatrix's awareness prickled as she sensed a presence- Hermione's, she reminded herself- enter the room. Within the depths of her mind, she silently celebrated. It was easier to drag herself into awareness than it had been last time. She had wondered if Hermione would come back again. She had hoped she would. She wished she could reach out to the witch, to give her a sign that she was still here, that she was listening, that she wanted to. Her body refused to respond to her in any way, no matter how hard she strained to make herself _move_.

"I'm not sure what I'm doing here," Hermione admitted to the room. Well, not exactly. She was also admitting it to Bellatrix, even though logic told her it was silly.

"_That's okay!_" Bellatrix thought, "_Please just don't stop talking!_"

"Do you ever feel like things got messed up somewhere and the way things turned out is different from how they were supposed to be?" Hermione decided she might stay for a while, so she moved to the seat near the bed, sitting down.

"_I know it happens,_" she thought in response, a jolt moving through her awareness when Hermione sat down, "_I don't know why it does._"

"I think I feel like that right now," Hermione said, unsure of why she paused between thoughts since there was no one to respond, "I think I feel like things were supposed to be different than they are. Maybe it comes from disappointment. I thought when we won, the world would be so much better, but it isn't. But I don't think that's it. I'm not sure why I feel that way, but I know in my gut that it's true."

"_Always listen to your gut, Hermione. It'll serve you better than anything else._" Bellatrix wished she could comfort Hermione. She knew what that feeling was like, she had felt it since she had first been marked, but by then it was already too late. All she could do was give Hermione clues, and she hadn't been able to do that without hurting her.

Hermione shifted in her chair, eliciting a slight creak. "I guess that means free will exists. Or that fate is a lousy planner. How much of what we do is supposed to happen and to what extent are our choices really our own? There are so many factors to consider. Other people affect the weights of choices we make, so how much does that contribute to our choices?"

"_You seem lost,_" Bellatrix observed, curiosity sending another jolt through her awareness.

"I think I'm just confused," she mumbled with a yawn, "I think I think too much."

"_It's the price you pay for being so smart. Don't give up,_" she silently encouraged.

"You probably thought too much, too. From what I've heard from people you were too smart for your own good. Everyone told me that I was, too." Hermione leaned her head against the bedpost, speaking with her eyes closed.

"_That's not a bad thing._" Bellatrix's awareness felt another jolt as a small depression shifted her slightly on the bed. "_Please don't stop talking yet._"

"Andromeda owled me," Hermione said suddenly, startling herself awake, "She wants me to have tea with her."

"_I miss Andy. I wish I could've saved her daughter,_" Bellatrix thought sadly, feeling her awareness began to slip away, "_Not yet, please, not yet._"

"It's probably about Draco," Hermione murmured absently, her head on the edge of Bellatrix's mattress.

"_Draco..._" Bellatrix's awareness faded, the small part of her that was still there unable to hold on any longer.

Hermione drifted off to sleep without meaning to. When she entered, she had every intention of returning to her room before too long. Something about the atmosphere in Bellatrix's room was relaxing, wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a chilly night. The light in the room faded as both women slipped into unconsciousness until it was gone completely, leaving them immersed in darkness.

Narcissa eased the door open slowly, the flickering light of the candle in her grasp faintly illuminating Bellatrix's room. She startled when her eyes fell on the figure at the end of her sister's bed, trying to calm her racing heart when she realized it was Hermione. She closed the door softly, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking her. As she lined up potions on the nightstand, she winced as two bottles clinked against each other, stilling and looking at Hermione. The young woman didn't move, and Narcissa resumed her task. With a bottle in her hand, she contemplated waking Hermione and sending her to bed, knowing the position couldn't possibly be comfortable. She resolved to take care of her sister first, especially since she had been late last night to give Hermione some time.

Administering potions to Bellatrix was not a new experience for Narcissa, even before she had received the kiss. There had been many times she had to force potions down her sister's throat, sometimes while she was conscious, other times while she wasn't. It was always easier to do it while she was unconscious. A conscious Bellatrix was a stubborn one, and while Narcissa could manage it, she preferred when her sister didn't fight back. Since she had been kissed, Narcissa found herself wishing that Bellatrix would fight back. In between potions, Narcissa dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve, wiping them away before they had a chance to fall. There were so many things she wished she could change, but out of all those things, she wished for her sister back. When she had given Bellatrix her last potion, she sank slowly to the floor, her back against the nightstand and her face buried in her knees. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs for a few moments before she sniffled quietly, composing herself once more even though all she wanted was to curl up next to Bellatrix and mourn. That wouldn't solve anything, though.

Wiping her eyes one more time, she gently shook Hermione's shoulder, whispering, "Hermione. Wake up."

Bellatrix felt herself being tugged into awareness, the sudden electricity coursing through her startling her.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, an apology on her lips as soon as her eyes focused. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- I wasn't trying to intrude-"

"It's okay," Narcissa assured her softly.

Bellatrix struggled to comprehend the second voice in the room. She knew it was her sister, but the words weren't very clear. Whereas Hermione's voice cut straight to her awareness, Narcissa's floated to her, resting softly over her without really penetrating.

"I fell asleep," Hermione said, her cheeks coloring and feeling slightly silly at the obvious statement.

"_For how long?_" Bellatrix wondered, trying to claw her way further into her body so she could hear her sister's voice.

"You aren't intruding, Hermione," Narcissa said, "I didn't want you to sleep like that all night, especially with the days you've had."

"_She's never intruding,_" Bellatrix thought, wishing she could express how she felt.

At the mention of it, Hermione suddenly felt very sore, stretching slightly in an attempt to loosen her muscles. "I should get to bed."

"_Sleep well, Hermione,_" Bellatrix thought tiredly, already feeling herself begin to sink further away, "_Thanks for talking to me._"

"Good night, Hermione," Narcissa said distractedly, wondering about the tingle she felt in the back of her head.

It was similar to what she had felt when she was younger, when her gift for Legillimency was beginning to make itself known. She had learned to control it since then, and seldom heard the thoughts of others without trying unless they were tied to very strong emotions. It was a skill she kept hidden from most people, but she only used it in very extreme circumstances. Hermione's thoughts had never extended beyond her mind before, and Narcissa had no reason to think there was significant emotion behind them for her to sense it. Besides the two of them, there was only one other person in the room, but Narcissa was unsure if it was feasible or if she had maybe just imagined it.

Trying not to be too hopeful, she whispered to the quiet room, "Bella, are you there?"

She held her breath, waiting, hoping for some sign that her sister was there. As more time passed without a response, her heart began to sink, but still, she waited. Uncharacteristically, she worried her lip between her teeth, wondering if she was being foolish. Maybe she had just imagined it, or maybe it had been Hermione.

"_I'm here Cissy, I'm here,_" Bellatrix thought with the last of her remaining strength, hoping it was enough.

Just as Narcissa was about to stop waiting, she felt another tingle in the back of her head. She set the candle back on the nightstand, collapsing to her knees next to the bed. She reached for Bellatrix's hand, threading their fingers together and laughing softly into the mattress as tears crept from her eyes and down her cheeks. She didn't receive another response, but she wanted to remain optimistic. She wanted her sister to still be there.


	4. Relation Building

**A/N: It has certainly been a while since I last updated. Hopefully, a long chapter such as this one both satisfies and makes me worthy of forgiveness. I've spent several days working on this chapter and making it much longer than I normally do. I hope you're all doing well and staying safe. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Day by day_

_Put the pieces back of you_

_This is all I want to do_

_Damaged and broken_

_But keep your heart open_

_For me_

_And day by day_

_Put the pieces back of you_

_-Day By Day, _Picturesque

* * *

When Narcissa woke the following morning, she was still on the floor next to her sister's bed, clutching her hand tightly. The candle on the nightstand had burned out hours ago and the only light was that which was able to sneak through the heavy curtains covering the window. The prickling at the back of her mind was gone, and she began to wonder if it had all been a product of wishful thinking and her imagination before she quickly terminated that train of thought. Narcissa played with Bellatrix's fingers in the way she used to when they were kids, manipulating her long, slender fingers. It was a game they played when Narcissa had been nervous; Bellatrix would thread their hands together and allow Narcissa small moments of control over something. Andromeda had done it too, but she had been out of Narcissa's life for so many years that it was harder to remember.

"Good morning, Bella," Narcissa whispered after moving Bellatrix's thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers in order, and then reverse order.

She moved Bellatrix's fingers in this way two more times before she laid her sister's hand on the bed and stood up. On a whim, she decided to open the curtains enough to let a sliver of light into the room, just enough to see by. She pressed a kiss to her sister's forehead before leaving the room, making her way down the corridor in as dignified a manner as she could manage.

"Narcissa?" came Hermione's voice from behind her.

"Hermione, good morning," Narcissa said, eyeing Hermione's outfit with a little distaste. She understood Hermione's preference of Muggle clothes, she had been brought up in that world and they looked much more practical, but she had been trained from such a young age that her reaction was still unconscious.

"Good morning," Hermione responded, pausing for a moment, "Are you okay?"

Narcissa offered her a reassuring smile, about to insist that she was before deciding at the last moment to be more honest with the perceptive young witch before her. "I miss my sister. My sisters. They are not easy to love, and neither am I, but when I was younger I never thought we would be separated by any force in this world. And now Bella has been kissed and Andy wants nothing to do with me."

Hermione found herself at a loss for words as she saw tears form in the corners of the normally composed woman's eyes and her voice grew thick with emotion. Without thinking about it, she enveloped the blonde in a tight hug, almost surprised that they were the same height because Narcissa always seemed so much taller. Narcissa found herself sinking into the warm embrace, surprising herself at the vulnerability she allowed herself to show Hermione. But she knew Hermione would never abuse vulnerability the way many people would.

"I miss my parents, too, but they'll never remember who I am," Hermione said softly.

"They'll always miss you," Narcissa said, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve to remove the evidence of her tears, "They won't know that's what they're feeling, but it'll always be there."

Hermione didn't say anything. She knew her parents would always feel like there was a hole in their lives, but she had to protect them. It was the only way she could think of at the time.

"Ginny will be here soon," she finally said, gingerly pulling away from the embrace they were still sharing.

"Yes, I'm glad she gets along so well with Draco," Narcissa said, silently grateful that Hermione had not commented on her clearly disheveled state.

"I should be back before dinner, but in case I'm not-"

"Ginny is more than welcome to stay for as long as she wishes. Anytime," Narcissa said, politely interjecting. The young redhead's fiery spirit reminded her so much of Bellatrix that she felt a little less alone on the few occasions she had been in her presence.

"Thank you, Narcissa. And try not to dwell too much on the past. Everything will be as it should be," Hermione said, unsure why she had so much confidence in that statement, but not doubting that it was true even if she had no idea how things should be.

Narcissa watched the retreating form of Hermione, frozen in place while the rest of the world continued moving forward. She wanted to go back to the days where her sisters were still there, where they were carefree, which hadn't ever been a time that existed but she wished it was and she wished she could go there. She decided to spend the rest of her day reading in her sister's room.

Hermione, after what felt like an age, finally reached the residential wing of the manor, waving at the Auror dutifully standing guard outside Draco's room.

"Good morning, Charlie," she greeted.

"Mornin' Hermione," he said, relaxing from his position.

"You can have the weekend off, Charlie, I'll ask Ginny to stay. I'm sure your wife misses you," she said, offering a kind smile.

"Very much, yes. Thank you," he said, nodding respectfully.

"You do an excellent job, you deserve a break."

He nodded at her, making his way to the foyer after she knocked on the door. Hermione waited patiently for Draco to open the door, shifting her weight from her heels to the balls of her feet and back again as she allowed her mind to wander. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice when Draco emerged from his room, which she always found surprisingly bright.

"Morning, Hermione," he said cheerily, beginning to walk toward the Dining Hall.

"Morning, Draco," she responded, falling into step beside him.

"What time are you going to see her?" Draco asked, running a hand through his hair and whispering the last part.

"Whenever Ginny arrives, I suppose," she answered with a shrug.

"Do you think Ron and Harry will ever owl you?" He cast her a sideways glance, noticing the flash of annoyance that crossed her face.

"Honestly, I haven't the slightest, but believe it or not, this isn't the first time they haven't spoken to me," she answered, her strides becoming faster.

"They've done this type of thing before?" Draco increased the length of his stride to keep up with her, unsure if it was wise to pry but curious nonetheless.

"The first time was when I was promoted to a higher Auror level than them, the second time was when I transferred to a field agent for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the third time was when I was appointed to the Head of the Department, the fourth time was when I argued for Bellatrix, and the fifth time was when I sponsered you. And that's just since we graduated from Hogwarts, there were plenty of times while we were in school, too," Hermione recounted, her voice sharp and her pace increasing as she grew more annoyed.

"They sound lovely," Draco chuckled sarcastically.

"Downright heavenly," she responded dryly, slowing her pace and glancing at him from the corner of her eye, "It's not all bad, though. There are some really good things about our friendship. Sometimes we disagree and they're a little less mature than I am, but we usually work it out."

"How long does it usually take them to come around?" Draco breathed a sigh of relief since they had finally reached the Dining Hall, slightly out of breath from how fast they had been walking.

Hermione just shrugged, choosing a chair at random and helping herself to breakfast. Draco took that as the end of Hermione's willingness to discuss the subject, so he didn't pry further. Instead, he helped himself to his own breakfast, wondering where his mother was and why she wasn't there yet. Before he could finish the thought, a sound rang throughout the house, announcing the arrival of a visitor. A few seconds later, Ginny entered through the double doors, plopping into the seat next to Hermione and greeting them with a lopsided grin.

"Morning, Ginny," Draco said, hurrying to swallow his breakfast before speaking so he didn't seem rude.

"Morning," she greeted cheerfully, catching sight of the food on the table and piling it onto a plate in a manner that would have made Ron jealous.

"Morning," Hermione muttered, her mood still a littlke soured by the conversation she had with Draco.

"Whatever has your knickers in a twist, you need to get over it," Ginny began, pausing to shove a piece of toast into her mouth, "You shouldn't see Andromeda when you're irritated, and also I have good news. All the field agents received passing scores on their special training assessments on the first go around and Kingsley wants to give you some type of distinction or something, but you didn't hear it from me."

"That's wonderful, all I did was do my job," Hermione muttered bitterly, not as thrilled as she should have been. She had a feeling there were ulterior motives behind it, as there so often were. It was probably to placate her for letting the Wizengamot block her from Bellatrix's trial.

"I know what you're probably thinking, but you can use that as a platform if you ever run for Minister, Hermione," Ginny said while Draco looked between the two witches, slightly confused about what was going on.

"You'd make a great Minister," Draco chimed in, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Thanks, Draco," Hermione said, attempting to shake off the foul mood that seemed to wrap around her like a blanket, "I should get going."

She stood up and left before either of them could respond, leaving them to stare after her with various expressions of mild concern. Hermione summoned a hoodie from her room, waiting in the foyer as it zoomed into her outstretched hand. She pulled it on, sinking into the comfort of the slightly oversized article. She scooped a handful of floo powder into her hand and stepped into the floo, announcing her destination and letting the powder fall through her fingers. In a burst of green flames, she was emerging in Andromeda's cottage, where she was immediately greeted by Teddy.

"Hermione!" he shouted in delight, his 'r' sound verging on a 'w' sound.

"Hi, Teddy," she said, scooping the toddler into her arms and spinning him in a circle, eliciting raucous laughter, "Where's Andy?"

"Kitchen," he said, gripping her hoodie tightly when she made to put him down.

She relented to his unspoken request, shifting his weight so he was riding on her back as she walked the short distance to the kitchen. Andromeda sat at the table, drinking tea and scanning the newspaper in an almost bored fashion. Hermione knew Andromeda was aware of her presence, and she wasn't offended by the lack of greeting the witch offered her. She wasn't sure what she had wanted to talk about, but she knew it would probably be an awkward conversation.

"How is it?" Andromeda asked, not looking up from the newspaper.

"Not as bad as I thought it would be," Hermione answered, letting Teddy climb off her back and into a chair, "They're very kind to me."

"Polite?" she corrected questioningly, without meaning to.

"No, they're nice to me. It surprised me, too, the first few days." Hermione decided to make herself a cup of tea, stirring in sugar and a little bit of cream.

"Good," Andromeda said distractedly.

"Andy, I know there's something you want to seriously talk about," Hermione said, not having the patience to play this game.

"Why did you do it?" Andromeda asked, setting down the paper and staring intently at Hermione.

Hermione leaned against the counter, unfazed by the woman's hostility. "It was the right thing to do."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Andromeda snapped.

"Then what are you talking about?" Hermione asked calmly, pointedly looking at Teddy.

Andromeda took a deep breath before clarifying, "Why did you try to fight for Bellatrix?"

"My answer is still the same," Hermione said, taking a sip of tea.

"My sister-" she began.

"I know what you're going to say. And I can tell you that the Bellatrix I experienced didn't deserve what she got. She helped us, Andy, what don't you get about that?"

"She still hurt so many people," Andromeda protested.

"Who hasn't?" Hermione asked, not in the mood to argue about this.

"Hermione, she tortured you," Andromeda hissed in a whisper.

"Teddy, will you go build me something out of blocks?" Hermione asked, sitting once he rushed out of the room and addressing Andromeda, "She didn't have a choice. And if anyone should be hung up on that, it should be me, and I'm not, so you shouldn't be either. Do you really believe that Bellatrix is evil? You're her sister, Andromeda, you should know better."

"She made sure I wasn't her sister when I married Ted. Narcissa, too," she said bitterly.

Hermione stood up from her chair, sensing Andromeda wasn't going to hear her out. "Perhaps you should reevaluate your views on your sisters. They aren't bad people, and they didn't disown you, your father did. You're better than this, Andromeda."

Andromeda was too ashamed to respond. She was mad that Hermione was right, she was mad that her excuses were so flimsy. She was just mad. From her spot in the kitchen, she vaguely made out the sound of Hermione appraising Teddy's building before the burst of green fire engulfed her. She continued to sit at the table, her tea completely forgotten as she seethed at herself quietly. Hermione was too observant and rational to argue with, and that hadn't been the point of inviting her over. She was just too much of a coward to admit she was wrong.

"Granny?" Teddy asked, waddling into the kitchen.

"Yes, love?" she asked, leaning her head against her palm and spinning her teacup in a circle on the table.

"Why are you mad at Hermione?" he asked timidly, grasping the doorframe as if he could hide behind it.

"I'm not mad at her, sometimes we take our hurt out on other people, even when we don't mean to," she said, moving out of her chair to sit on the floor.

He ran over to her, throwing his small arms around her neck. "Why are you hurting, Granny?"

"I miss my sisters sometimes, even though they hurt me," was all she managed to say. It felt strange to admit it.

"You should tell Hermione you're sorry. And you should see your sisters. Maybe they did what you did to Hermione."

"Maybe," she muttered into his hair.

"Can I meet them?" he asked, squirming in her embrace.

"Let me see how it goes first, okay?" She let go of him.

"Okay," he said, running back to his blocks.

Andromeda sighed, brushing her curls out of her face and pushing herself off the floor. Teddy had more logic than anyone his age should have, but she supposed he was right. She knew he was right. She had wanted to ask Hermione today, but she had chickened out. It was easier to be angry.

* * *

Hermione strode through the halls of the Ministry of Magic, growing more frustrated with each wrong turn she took. She silently cursed the person who had designed it, as she stomped through hall after hall to her desk. She hated coming in on weekends because she wasn't able to use the lift to get to her department. Irately, she threw open her door with as much force as she could muster, nearly blowing it off its hinges with the leak of her magic. She took several deep breaths, contemplating doing paperwork because that always helped her clear her head, but deciding she needed something more active to occupy her. She turned on her heel, marching out of her office and slamming the door closed, ignoring the crack that formed in the glass as she marched to the training field. She transfigured her clothes as she went, the sound of her footsteps changing as her trainers became boots.

When she reached the training field, she pulled her hoodie off and tossed it in a crumpled ball onto the floor. She kept her wand tucked into her sleeve, opting to practice without it. One of her favorite feelings was casting wandlessly, because the power coursing through her burned so much more, reminding her that it could tear her apart from the inside. It kept her humble. As she warmed up with basic spells, she tried to focus on the events of the week, processing everything that happened and what she wanted to do moving forward. All the Death Eater trials had taken a lot out of her, and they had taken such a long time, but none moreso than Bellatrix's. It had been six months to begin her trial, two and a half for her trial and sentencing, and then a year for the sentence to be carried out. Hermione had fought to be heard for the entirety of it, and she had been shut down every time. It was exhausting.

As the dummy Hermione was using slowly turned to dust, she thought about how ready she was for a break from it all. There had been so many questions from people, so many criticisms and praises from people who didn't know her or what she stood for, and political bullshit she was getting frustrated with. Part of her wished she was in charge so she could just overhaul everything, and part of her didn't want to be the one to undergo the ordeal and resistance. Maybe that was why Kingsley hadn't done much to change things.

Hermione had effectively turned her fourth dummy into dust and still wasn't closer to feeling better. She had pent up so many things, more than she realized, but once it started, it just poured out of her. The dummies were hardly a satisfactory opponent.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, his footfalls echoing in the empty room.

"Harry," Hermione said, barely out of breath, "What are you doing here?"

"Andy owled me. I figured I'd find you here." He shuffled his feet, observing them with interest.

"I'm not really in the mood, Harry," she said, annoyance leaking into her voice.

"I didn't come to talk about it. I came to offer a sparring partner," he quickly said, looking up at her sheepishly.

"Oh. Well, I guess it would be nice to have someone that could fight back," she said, standing up straight and blinking in his direction a few times.

"Okay," he said with a slight smile, drawing his wand.

"I hope you don't mind if I practice without mine," she said, smiling wickedly.

"You know I love a challenge," he said, rolling his neck to loosen up, "Mind if I get a few warm-up spells?"

"Knock yourself out," she answered, gesturing to the sad excuse for a dummy.

Harry fired a few mild spells at the dummy, the two of them watching in satisfaction as it crumbled to dust under the force of the blows. With a chuckle, he turned to her, bowing slightly. She bowed back, barely waiting until she was at her full height to begin firing spells at him. He deflected them without much of a struggle, he was one of the more talented Aurors, and quickly put himself in a position to retaliate. Hermione had sparred with Harry enough to know his weakness, and knew she could end the duel with ease, but she enjoyed having someone to push her back, and she appreciated that he hadn't come to talk. They exchanged spells nonstop, dancing around each other and putting more effort into it as time passed. A slight sheen of sweat had formed on both their faces, reflecting the light of the spells that they sent toward each other. Their breaths came faster and their limbs grew heavier, but Harry pushed on until Hermione ended the duel. He had come as her friend, and he was determined to keep dueling until she was ready to stop. At the moment, he didn't feel like it would ever come, but he could see Hermione growing more tired with every exchange.

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, offering him a hand to pull him to his feet.

"You know I love a good duel," he said, taking her proffered hand and allowing her to pull him to a standing position, "We may not always see eye to eye, but we're still friends. I know I'm pretty daft most of the time, but I'm not useless."

"I don't suppose you're ready to stop being mad at me, yet?" she asked sheepishly.

"I'm done being mad, but I need a little more time to process. I promise I'll send you an owl soon." He gave her a pat on the shoulder, too sweaty to want to give her a hug, but still wanting to show her that they were close.

"Bye, Harry," she said with a smile.

When he had gone, she scooped her hoodie off the floor, pulling it on over her training shirt and letting the hood hide her unruly hair. She felt significantly better after the duel and their brief but meaningful conversation. For some reason, she felt the urge to visit Bellatrix, which was becoming a very regular feeling. She shoved her wand into the pocket of her hoodie, trudging to the floo. She wasn't sure she would be able to floo directly to Bellatrix's room, but it was worth a try, and if anything, she would probably just end up in the foyer of the Manor.

As she stood in the floo, with the words on her lips to take her to the place she now considered home- a realization that both surprised and comforted her- she made the split-second decision to utter a different place. When she stepped out of the fireplace in her parent's old home, she cast a look around, her heart growing heavy in her chest as she realized how much dust had accumulated since the last time she had visited. She made to scourgify the room, but in the end, she decided against it. She couldn't really remember the last time she had visited. She could remember how she felt, because it was always the same. Phantom memories played themselves out, visible only to Hermione.

She tiptoed up the stairs, making her way to her room. It was the only room in the house that still had furniture. She had slept here occasionally, enough to warrant a bed and even a dresser, but more often than not she had spent her nights at the Burrow, sharing a room with Ginny. Now, her nights were spent in Malfoy Manor, a place she couldn't say she ever expected to stay, but found herself glad to regardless. Hermione opened the drawers of her dresser, pleased to find a few sets of clothes. She didn't have much, but at least it would provide her with some variety. Hermione shrunk the clothes, tucking them neatly into her pocket before turning on her heel.

The change in surface caused Hermione to stumble slightly when she appeared in the foyer of Malfoy Manor, but she quickly caught herself and was grateful no one had been there to witness her clumsiness. She could hear voices coming from the direction of the library, and she inwardly groaned, wishing it could've been empty. She forced her heavy limbs toward the room nonetheless, identifying the voices of Ginny and Draco with ease. Upon hearing footsteps, they fell silent, and Hermione couldn't help the downward twitch of her lips.

"Yikes, you look like shite," Ginny laughed when Hermione entered the library, "I take it things didn't go as planned? Oh! Do you need help hiding a body?"

Ginny was leaning over the back of the couch, nearly falling onto the floor with laughter.

"Just what I wanted to hear. You've always been a charmer, Ginny, really, I have no idea why you're single," Hermione said, the upward twitch of her lips giving her away.

"Says you," she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"Be honest Draco, is it bad?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at Ginny.

"Erm," he grimaced, "She's not wrong."

"HA!" Ginny taunted, leaning forward a little too far and tumbling over the back of the couch.

"I'm pretty sure that's what they call poetic justice," Hermione teased, offering Ginny a hand.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't care what it's called. You suck when you're grumpy." Ginny accepted Hermione's outstretched hand, using it to pull herself to her feet as she spoke.

"Draco, is this true?" Hermione asked.

"How do I get myself involved in these things?" he asked glumly, sinking further into the couch.

"I promise I won't hex you if I don't like what I hear. Look," Hermione said, pulling out her wand and tossing it onto the couch, "I'll even give you my wand."

"We all know that wouldn't stop you," Draco murmured, eyeing her suspiciously.

Ginny was doing her best to stifle her laughter, earning a faux-angry glare from Hermione, who was also trying to stifle her laughter. The look broke Ginny's will, and she began laughing, causing Hermione's own resistance to break. Draco looked between them a few times, confusion visible on his face until the realization dawned on him.

"Haha, very funny," he mocked, "Yes, it's true, Hermione."

Ginny collapsed with laughter, gasping and trying to catch her breath as tears streamed down her face. Hermione dropped herself onto the couch next to Draco, picking up her wand and placing it back into the pocket of her hoodie. Ginny joined them on the couch when she composed herself, plopping gracefully between them.

"So," she began, "It really didn't go well?"

"Not at all. We started arguing before we even got to the point of the conversation, so I left. I went to the Ministry to do something. I ended up on the Training Field and Harry showed up after a while and we dueled to destress. I went to my parents' old place."

"How was that?" Ginny asked.

"I think it might be time to let it go," Hermione mumbled, turning her face away slightly.

"It's probably for the best," she said sympathetically.

* * *

Hermione stood on the stage with a blank expression, trying to ignore the flashing cameras as she half-listened to whatever Kingsley was saying. Her eyes scanned the crowd as they always did, a habit she didn't think she'd ever be able to let go of. She knew the six Aurors behind her and Ginny next to her were doing the same thing. There was no reason for her to think anything would happen, but something was nagging at her and she just couldn't shake it. Ginny was just as on edge as she was, her posture more rigid than normal and her discerning eyes flicking back and forth over the crowd. Hermione knew Ginny was paying more attention to what Kingsley was saying- she always did- so she had no problem continuing to tune him out as she scanned the crowd. A quiet throat clear from Ginny signaled to her to tune in, so she shifted her attention to Kingsley, catching the tail of his speech.

"And so, for her dedication to service of the wizarding community, it is my great pleasure to award Ms. Granger with a medal for distinguished service!" As Kingsley finished speaking, a large cheer rose through the crowd, punctuating his sentence.

Hermione fought a grimace, maintaining her stoic composure even as Kingsley moved in front of her to present her with the medal. She managed to quash the impulse to look around him and continue scanning the crowd, despite the feeling in her gut. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ginny begin to move, and on instinct, she grabbed Kingsley and spun them so he was behind her, shoving him into the protection of the Aurors. They moved around him, forming a ring as Hermione turned to face the crowd, a particularly nasty slicing jinx nicking her wand arm.

"Ginny, on me," she said, scanning the crowd for motion.

She caught sight of someone ducking through the crowd and she sprung into action, Ginny on her trail. They weaved through the crowd, trying to follow the disturbance. They finally managed to push through the crowd, looking in every direction for the attacker.

"There!" Ginny said, pointing at a figure cloaked in black.

They took off after him, carefully deflecting the spells sent their way so they weren't sent into the crowd. Hermione did her best to slow the flow of blood from the cut on her arm, but healing and running and deflecting was no easy task. The blood made her wand slick, so she opted to stow it in the sleeve of her other arm. The figure stopped and turned to face them, firing a heavy barrage of spells in their direction.

"Ginny, flank him," Hermione ordered, using both her hands to hold up a Protego to protect them and the crowd.

"You got it, boss," she said, stepping out from Hermione's Protego and spinning away from the spells sent her direction.

As the attacker's attention became split between the two of them, Hermione slowly pushed forward, closing the distance between herself and the attacker. Unable to keep them both at bay, the attacker turned to flee again, and Hermione dropped her shield and rushed at him, closing the distance faster than any person should have been able to. She slammed into them full speed, knocking the breath out of the attacker as they collided with each other and the ground.

"Don't move," Hermione growled, pressing her arm against his throat, "You're under arrest for the attempted assassination of the Minister and assault of Ministry officials."

"Hermione," Ginny said, a hint of uncertainty seeping into her voice.

Hermione looked up, turning her attention to where Ginny's was focused. The Aurors were struggling to fend off similarly dressed attackers, easily outnumbered two to one. The crowd had all but dispersed, some photographers hiding but staying to take pictures.

"Un-fucking-believable," Hermione muttered, "Stupefy! Take him in, send every available field agent here immediately, as soon as he's in a cell, come back."

Ginny nodded, placing a hand on the limp body of the attacker and apparating to the nearest floo. Hermione brushed the dirt off her shirt, casting a more effective spell to staunch the blood coming from her wound. When that was taken care of, she rushed into the fray, sending weak spells towards the battle in case she hit an Auror. Three of the attackers focused on her, pulling away from the fray and intercepting her.

"Well, this is hardly fair," she muttered with a wry laugh, glaring at the attackers. She couldn't see their faces or discern much about them, even with her perceptive nature.

She took up a defensive stance, knowing she would have trouble against three people, but all she had to do was hold out until field agents arrived. It shouldn't be too long. Hermione knew it would feel like an eternity, though. She steeled herself, preparing for the onslaught she knew was coming. Already, she felt a bit dizzy from the combination of blood loss and exertion, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. Hermione observed the three carefully, reading the few signs she could see to anticipate their attacks. She ducked and sidestepped, careful not to expose herself to an attack or put herself in a vulnerable position.

She attacked when she had an opening, unable to send her usual strength spells. Hermione felt her energy draining much faster than she had thought, and she felt it dip substantially as she caught one of the attacker's spells in her hands, adding her own power to it and sending it back in the direction it had come from. A quick glance up at the Aurors showed them fairing marginally better than they had been, but the slight disparity in numbers was taking its toll.

_"Come on, Ginny_,_"_ Hermione thought, gritting her teeth as debris from a barely-dodged bombarda hit her.

Her retaliation wasn't as frequent anymore, her dwindling energy mostly focused on not taking any hits. She grit her teeth harder, pushing herself not to give up yet. She called her magic to her, commanding even the depths of it to rise and give her strength. It was a risky move, she knew; not only had she never even practiced the technique, but if it failed, she would be powerless. But it would buy her more time, which was all she needed. She focused her remaining energy on calling every bit of her magic, impervious to the spells sent her way, at least, for now.

As her vision cleared, she felt a new awareness coming to the surface, a buried instinct she never knew she possessed. The three attackers faltered, shocked by what they saw, giving Hermione the opportunity to begin her offense. As she hurled spells at them, they were still too in shock to dodge, barely able to deflect them in time. She continued her onslaught, knowing if she stopped now that she was a goner. One attacker crumpled to the ground, still alive, she was pretty sure. The other two adjusted their grip on their wands, moving to opposite sides to flank her. Hermione knew she couldn't give them the chance, curving her spells to force them closer together.

Another attacker went down, definitely alive, she was certain, and she turned to the remaining one, only for him to be knocked to the ground by a spell she didn't cast. Exhausted, she crumpled to the ground, hitting her knees hard on the unforgiving asphalt. She could feel glances in her direction, but for the most part, everyone was working to bring the attackers in.

"Hermione! Are you alright? What the fuck was that?" Ginny asked, rushing to her side and pulling her to a standing position by her underarms. She slung Hermione's uninjured arm over her shoulders, holding it with her left hand and supporting her waist with her right arm.

"Everything hurts," Hermione mumbled, leaning heavily on Ginny.

"I've never seen anything like what you did, what was that?" Ginny asked, guiding her to a place to sit.

"It was," Hermione grunted as she stumbled slightly, "A technique I read about to give yourself a fighting chance when the odds are against you. I found it in the library. When done properly, it enables a witch or wizard to access every bit of their magic, heightening their senses and bringing forth a magical instinct to block and attack."

"Right. And you read about it. And I'm assuming you've never used it before, because why practice something before attempting it in a life or death scenario?" Ginny asked sarcastically, lowering Hermione to the ground gently.

"Well, it's not as if I ever had the option to practice. But I think I- I think I have done it before, without knowing. During the Battle of Hogwarts. Everything is a little fuzzy, but we all know I wasn't the best dueler. If I had unconsciously tapped into that, it would explain a lot. How's Draco?" She mumbled, sleepily.

"He's fine. Stay with me, Hermione, the healer is almost here. Keep talking," Ginny urged, doing her best to heal Hermione's minor injuries.

"What took you so long to get back?" she asked, trying to force herself to a more aware state.

"The damn anti-apparition wards are a pain in the ass during an emergency like this," Ginny laughed.

"No kidding. You'd think there'd be a better system by now. Or at the very least an alert system so we don't have to send someone back and wait so long. I honestly wasn't sure you'd make it in time," Hermione said, wincing as she tried to adjust so she was more comfortable, "Merlin, everything hurts."

"That tends to happen after fighting. You don't look too great," a familiar voice said.

"Andy?" Hermione asked, squinting her eyes to try to get them to focus.

"Merlin, what did you do to yourself? Can you not see?" the older witch asked, leaning closer to Hermione.

"I can see...just not well. It's a little blurry. You're a little blurry," Hermione answered, beginning to laugh a little.

"Let's get you patched up. I'm sure it's just exhaustion." Andromeda set about healing Hermione's arm, having Ginny administer some blood replenishing potions.

"Andy, she said she did this thing. Hermione, what was it called?" Ginny asked, lightly poking Hermione's face to get her to focus.

Hermione's face scrunched in concentration, "It was called...something like..." she trailed off, struggling to remember the name it had gone by in the book she had read, "Aural projection?"

Andromeda slowed slightly, staring at her in awe. "I'm guessing you found that in Narcissa's library?"

"Yes," Hermione mumbled, leaning her head back.

Andromeda frowned, focusing on a diagnostic spell before beginning, "I'm not here to lecture you, Hermione, but that technique is very dangerous, there's a reason it isn't taught anymore. You're lucky to be alive, let alone as conscious as you are."

"I couldn't see another way. I was out of options and I needed time."

"Andy, Hermione thinks she used it at the Battle of Hogwarts," Ginny whispered, too low for Hermione to hear.

Andromeda pondered for a while, working in thoughtful silence. "It's possible she did without knowing what it was. It's clear she can do it, which usually takes years of training and conditioning. Maybe she just instinctively possesses the ability."

"Is she going to be okay?" Ginny asked, casting a glance at her barely conscious friend.

"She'll be just fine, she just needs to rest. I'll take her home, I know you have a lot of work to do in her stead." Andromeda began packing her supplies, glancing at Hermione every time she moved slightly.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, looking between the working field agents and Hermione.

"Make sure you bring Draco," Andromeda said, scooping Hermione- who was surprisingly light- into her arms and standing.

Ginny nodded, slipping into her normally self-assured self and directing the field agents and uninjured Aurors. Andromeda turned on her heel, going the one place she didn't think she would anytime soon. She fought the slightly awkward feeling that spread through her as she looked around the mansion, judging which way she should go. Before she could take a step, a house-elf appeared in front of her, its already large eyes widening even more.

"Mistress Hermione!" she squeaked, quickly disappearing and reappearing with Narcissa in tow.

"Andy?" Narcissa asked, blinking in confusion at her sudden change in surroundings.

"It's Hermione," she grunted, shifting her gently. Hermione wasn't particularly heavy, but the strain of keeping so still was starting to get to her.

Narcissa's eyes were drawn by the motion, quickly stepping forward to ease the burden of carrying her. Andromeda gently shifted her weight to Narcissa, drawing her wand and beginning to cast a levitation charm.

"It's okay, I can carry her," Narcissa said, marveling at how much lighter Hermione was than she had thought, "Is Draco okay?"

"He's fine, Ginny is bringing him soon," Andromeda said, following Narcissa through the large mansion, pushing down the awkwardness she felt. In a way, this is what she had wanted, but under better circumstances.

"What happened?" Narcissa asked, skillfully maneuvering through the corridors to Hermione's room.

"I don't know the details, just that there was an attempt to kill Kingsley during his speech. And that Hermione somehow possesses the innate ability to call her magic to her," Andromeda said, holding Hermione's door open for Narcissa.

"How?" Narcissa began.

"That's not all. Ginny said Hermione thinks she might have done it at Hogwarts."

Narcissa set Hermione gently on the bed, checking her for injuries out of habit. "Without even knowing about it?"

"I don't know. Maybe Bella-"

"Don't," Narcissa said sharply, glaring at Andromeda with tears in her eyes.

Andromeda took a step back, unaccustomed to Narcissa turning her anger to her. "I'm sorry."

"I think you should go," Narcissa said, turning her attention back to Hermione.

Andromeda hung her head in defeat. "Okay."

Narcissa listened to Andromeda's retreating footsteps until she couldn't hear them anymore. Her jaw clenched and unclenched in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. She flung open the curtain, allowing light to flood the darkened room. Methodically, she began checking Hermione for injuries, knowing she wouldn't find any but the task was more of a distraction- and a way to reassure herself that Hermione was okay- than anything. When she was satisfied that Hermione was as patched up as she was going to get- not that she doubted Andromeda's ability- she set about cleaning off the dirt and dried blood with a cloth and warm water she had asked her house-elf to bring. She reached up Hermione's sleeve to remove her wand, flinching as her fingers brushed against the scar on her arm. Carefully, she cleaned the blood off her wand, setting it on the nightstand.

"Mum?" Draco's voice called, echoing slightly through the empty corridor.

"Draco," she breathed with a sigh of relief, enveloping him in a hug when he entered the room.

"How's she doing?" Ginny asked when they broke the hug, trying to give them some privacy.

"Better than she should be, given the circumstances," Narcissa said, "She'll probably sleep for a while."

"You don't know Hermione as well as you think. I give her ten more minutes before she's up and trying to work," Ginny said lightheartedly.

As if Ginny's statement prompted something within Hermione, a soft groan escaped her lips as she shifted slightly.

"That's not possible," Narcissa breathed.

"Hermione is too stubborn for her own good, which is why we are going to make sure she doesn't get up," Ginny said, sitting on the foot of Hermione's bed "I'll tell you what I can about what happened, it'll be in the newspapers soon enough, anyway."

Draco moved the chair at the desk to the side of Hermione's bed, getting comfortable and looking expectantly at Ginny. Narcissa resumed her self-imposed task, listening as Ginny recounted what she could. It really didn't take her too long, but by the time she finished, she was yawning intermittently. Hermione stirred occasionally, not quite waking up but certainly more than Narcissa would have thought. Ginny leaned her head on her hand, closing her eyes with a yawn but politely refusing Narcissa's offer for a room.

"Trust me, you do not want to deal with an injured Hermione by yourself. Not until you've had some practice, first," Ginny mumbled, startling awake when Hermione moved, "Speak of the devil."

"Watch it Gin, I am still your boss," Hermione croaked good-naturedly, "How long have I been out?"

Ginny scrunched up her face, doing her best to figure out how much time had passed. "Like half a day, give or take a few hours, maybe."

"That long?" Hermione asked, moving to sit up but finding that something was preventing her from doing so.

"You should not be awake, let alone trying to sit up," Narcissa said gently, a firm hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"I'm fine," she insisted, struggling harder.

"What happened?" Draco asked her, changing the subject.

Hermione winced, looking at Narcissa apologetically. "Don't get mad at me."

"Andromeda already told me what you did," she said, ice seeping into her words.

"I didn't have a choice," Hermione said, pushing against Narcissa's hand until the older witch relented, "The Aurors were overwhelmed, I was fighting three people, and I had already used so much energy. If I had known there would be so many attackers I never would have poured so much energy into that protego. But I did, and I was losing and help still hadn't come, I wasn't sure if it would. So I called my magic to me in a last-ditch attempt to buy myself some time. I know it was risky, but it was a risk I had to take."

At Narcissa's glare, Ginny intervened, "She's not entirely wrong. By the time we got there, half the Aurors were unconscious and only a few of the attackers had been incapacitated. Hermione was still up against two people when they arrived. I didn't get back until it was just the one guy Hermione was fighting. Even when help arrived, the focus is always protecting the Minister, no one would have helped Hermione until Kingsley was able to apparate away with at least three agents or Aurors."

"That doesn't make what you did any smarter," Narcissa scolded gently.

"I thought it was awesome. Hermione, you were all bright and scary looking, I definitely wouldn't have wanted to fight you," Ginny laughed.

"You shouldn't ever want to fight me anyway, I'll knock your ass into the dirt," she teased lightly.

"Don't I know it. It was insane, though, I didn't even notice until you stopped. You went all, like, dim when you collapsed, and that was pretty scary."

"That sounds awesome," Draco breathed quietly, earning an enthusiastic nod from Ginny, a smile from Hermione, and a stern look from Narcissa.

"You're lucky to have done it right, it could've easily killed you," Narcissa said, hoping the gravity of the situation would sink in.

"I know, but I was not going to survive that attack if I hadn't. I was bleeding too much, even though I tried to close the wound before I fought them. It opened up from all the moving around." Hermione observed her now-nonexistent injury, marveling at the unscarred skin, "We should really work on better field healing techniques."

"You should really get some rest," Narcissa said pointedly.

"She's right," Ginny said before Hermione could respond.

"Says the one who's just as bad as I am. How long have you been yawning?" Hermione retorted smartly.

"I'm not injured," Ginny pointed out.

"I'm not either," Hermione said, holding her arm out for evidence, "See?"

"Shouldn't you eat?" Draco asked timidly, reminding everyone in the room that it had been some time for all of them since their last meal.

"That sounds reasonable," Hermione shrugged, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed not blocked by Narcissa.

"How can you even walk after that?" Narcissa asked, "It takes a major toll on the body and mind."

Hermione shrugged, but frowned, testing out her limbs. "I'm pretty resilient. I've been through a lot, even since the war."

Narcissa gave Hermione a skeptical look, trying to judge if she was actually fit to be moving around so soon. With a defeated sigh, she gave in, standing and ushering them to the dining room. They made their way through the corridor, Narcissa catching Hermione's clandestine glance at Bellatrix's door. By the time they had reached the stairs, Narcissa noticed Hermione was paler than before, grimacing when she walked and moving slower than normal. She looked at her sternly, unnoticed by Draco and Ginny, who were walking slightly ahead of them and discussing Quidditch. Hermione sent her a bright smile, hoping it was more reassuring than she felt. Narcissa didn't say anything, which Hermione took as compliance. She could feel her ice blue eyes studying her carefully as she made to descend the stairs, stumbling and reaching out for the railing as her legs trembled under her.

"Ginny, Draco, go ahead without us," Narcissa said, reaching out to steady Hermione.

"You okay, Hermione?" Ginny asked, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Better than the other guys, I'm sure," she retorted, leaning heavily on Narcissa.

"That reminds me, Kingsley said you can't come back to work until you're given the all-clear by a healer," Ginny said, chuckling at Hermione's predictable reaction.

Narcissa raised her eyebrows in disbelief, fixing Hermione with a stern look, who didn't even try to look apologetic. "Ginny, I insist you stay the night again."

"It beats the Burrow," she said cheerily.

"No kidding," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and allowing Narcissa to guide her back the way they came.

"Are you ready to tell me how you really are?" Narcissa asked quietly when Draco and Ginny were out of earshot.

Hermione remained stubbornly quiet for a moment, focusing on walking. When Narcissa halted, she grunted, "Everything hurts."

"I thought so," Narcissa answered knowingly, guiding Hermione not to her room, but to Bellatrix's.

"You aren't going to make me rest?" Hermione asked when she realized where they were going.

"Make no mistake, I am going to, but there's something we need to do first."

Hermione wasn't sure how to respond to Narcissa's cryptic answer, so she remained silent. Her brow furrowed when they entered, expecting the normal flare of light to greet her but met only with the moonlight streaming in through the window.

As Narcissa guided her into a chair, she asked, "Did you not have the room enchanted to get brighter when you enter?"

Narcissa gave her a curious look as she settled herself in her own chair, calling the house-elf to bring them dinner and not responding until after they had eaten. "No, I didn't."

Bellatrix knew the moment Hermione had walked into the room, and she couldn't help the small thrill that ran down her spine. Something felt different though, and a tingle of panic followed the thrill. A moment later, she recognized Narcissa, her presence slightly obscured by Hermione's until there was more distance between them. She struggled to pull herself up into her excuse for consciousness, catching only Narcissa's response.

_"You didn't what?" _Bellatrix thought groggily, not quite understanding what was happening. Hermione felt...less than she usually did, her presence seeming smaller than usual, but still the center of her focus.

"Andy told me you think you've done it before, at Hogwarts," Narcissa said, not providing any precursor to the statement.

"Andy knows?" Hermione asked, scrunching her brow and mumbling, "Ginny."

_"Done what?" _Bellatrix thought, frustration seeping into her consciousness.

"She was going to suggest that Bella maybe told you," she continued, leaving her obvious question unstated.

_"Told her what?! I told her so much!"_

Hermione glanced at Bellatrix's immobile figure on the bed, a strange resolve coursing through her. "I'm not sure."

Bellatrix would've growled in frustration if she possessed the ability. Narcissa's lips twitched up as she felt a tingle in the back of her head, opening her mind to her sister while continuing the conversation with Hermione, "She knew how to do it, you know. He taught her how. It was an unpleasant experience for everyone, but particularly for her. The body alone is not capable of withstanding the strain without being conditioned to do so. He conditioned her by torturing her, and he made me watch, knowing it would hurt her more."

Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to formulate a response. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Narcissa and Bellatrix, noticing the tears the blonde witch was attempting to restrain. Anger coursed through her at the revelation, marveling at the cruelty of Voldemort.

Bellatrix knew what they were talking about now. A pang of regret coursed through her as she remembered what she had done to Hermione to prepare her. Sadness followed close behind at the thought of her sister watching as she was tortured.

"Are you- is that-" Hermione stuttered, before a look of revelation passed over her face, "Call to it, and it will come."

_"And it will come," _Bellatrix chorused, the twin statements resonating in Narcissa's mind.

"I didn't know what she meant. But if it's so dangerous, how come it didn't kill me that time? I mean, I didn't really know what to do at all."

"I think that's something only Bellatrix would know," Narcissa answered, simultaneously thinking _"Good to hear you, Bella."_

_"Hi, Cissy,"_ Bellatrix thought, momentarily distracted from what Narcissa had verbalized, _"Does she know?"_

_"I'm not_ sure,_" _Narcissa thought back.

"That first night you stood outside, what drew you?" Narcissa asked Hermione, watching her carefully for more signs of fatigue.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip, staring at Bellatrix as she tried to figure out the answer. She was pretty sure she would sound crazy if she told Narcissa she felt like maybe Bellatrix was still in there somewhere, could still be helped if someone just _tried_. She looked at Narcissa, deciding that she trusted the older witch enough to tell her the truth.

"At first, I didn't know she was here. It just felt like where I needed to be. Like something was calling me to be there, and I couldn't bring myself to enter because it wasn't my place to snoop. And when you told me she was in here, I thought maybe it was her, calling to me and that maybe I could help her."

Narcissa smiled serenely, whispering, "She's in there, buried deep down, but she's there. You bring her up."


	5. Answers

**A/N: So, I know it's been a long wait for this update, but I'm happy to report that the wait is over. I'm very excited for you all to finally have this chapter, for so many reasons. I hope all of you are doing well, and thank you so much for your support.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Are you lost?_

_Take my hand_

_And I'll walk with you_

_Time stands still_

_When you're here_

_I stay young_

_Whisper words in my ear_

_I'll be there for you_

_-Colour me in, _VUKOVI

* * *

Hermione had never been one to sit around doing nothing, especially when her department needed her there, which was why she had promptly ignored all protests as she left Malfoy Manor the next morning, Draco in tow. Narcissa had made a valiant effort to convince her to stay home and rest, but it had been futile. Draco was complacent in his fate and knew better than to even try to convince Hermione when she was set on doing something. She strode powerfully through the Ministry to the elevator, a frown fixed firmly on her face the entire way. Draco followed close behind, using his long legs to keep up with the shorter witch.

The field agents that had already arrived pointedly ignored the fact that she was there, knowing better than to say anything about her being there. Ginny was earlier than usual, as she always was when Hermione wasn't expected. She caught sight of Hermione as she was finishing a conversation with a low-ranking agent, giving her a disapproving look as Hermione passed and went to her office. Ginny quickly finished instructing the young man, setting off to intercept Hermione.

"You know Kingsley told you not to come in," Ginny chided quietly, catching Hermione right before she entered her office.

"And you know that it was pointless for him to say," Hermione challenged with a raised brow, glancing pointedly at the door to her office.

"Hermione," Ginny began, her voice pleading.

"Ginny, at least here you can keep an eye on me. We both know I'd be working even if I hadn't come in," Hermione said, placing her hand on the door handle, "I want to do the interrogations, I want to get to the bottom of this. I want Luna and Neville pulled from their departments for the duration of the investigation, I want Harry and Ron on alternating guard duty, plus the regular guards, and I want to get to the bottom of this."

"You got it, boss," Ginny said with a chuckle, "Kingsley should know better than to tell you to stay at home."

"Draco, could you give us a minute?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, of course," he said, letting himself into Hermione's office.

"Ginny, there's something about this that doesn't sit well with me," Hermione whispered, "I don't think they were after just Kingsley, I think they might've been after me, too. They were not fighting to incapacitate me, they were fighting to kill me."

Ginny frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. Hermione was rarely wrong, and her gut was something Ginny trusted unquestioningly. "What if they weren't after Kingsley at all? What if that was just a distraction from the real target? I mean, if they really wanted to kill him, it seems odd that three of them would fight you."

"This was too organized. The attack from the crowd to draw me away from the Aurors, and I sent you to put him in custody. They knew I would be isolated, Kingsley doesn't make sense as the target, not in such a public and guarded place. They drew me away from the Aurors and then kept them busy by slightly outnumbering them while trying to overwhelm me."

"I think you're right. It doesn't make sense for Kingsley to be the target. I didn't realize that many people would want you dead, 'Mione," Ginny joked.

"Guess I'm not as popular as I thought," Hermione laughed, "Let's keep this between us, for now. But I want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."

"Of course. I'll send out orders for Luna, Neville, Harry, and Ron while you prepare. Promise you'll be careful?" Ginny put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, looking into her eyes.

"Luna will be with me, and Neville will be right outside," Hermione said, knowing it wasn't what Ginny wanted.

"Hermione," Ginny said sternly.

She put her hand on Ginny's shoulder, giving her a crooked smile. "You know I'll be as careful as I can."

Ginny sighed, shaking her head with a small smile, "I guess that's as good as I'll ever get from you."

"You know I'd promise if I could," Hermione said, squeezing Ginny's shoulder.

She smiled broadly, saying, "Yeah, I know you would."

Ginny let the smile drop from her face as soon as Hermione was in her office, chewing on her lip and tapping her foot on the ground. Mentally shaking herself, she set off to get about her work. Hermione always came out on top, and this would be no exception.

Hermione sat heavily in her chair, grunting as she did so, which earned her a knowing look from Draco. Still, the blond wisely didn't say anything and turned his attention to the newest book Luna had loaned to him. Hermione had only just gotten settled when her office door was thrown open, revealing an angry-looking Kingsley.

"I know for a fact I told Ginevra to tell you not to come back until you were cleared by a healer," his deep voice boomed, drawing the curious gazes of several people outside her office. It was not often that Hermione was scolded when there were witnesses.

"Then bring a healer, because I'm fine," she said cooly, focusing her attention on organizing her paperwork.

"You are out of line, Ms. Granger, disobeying an order from the Minister," he reminded her.

"You know better than that, Minister," she said, her voice slightly mocking, "And you know I will not sit idly by when there is work to be done. Like I said to Ginny, at least here you can keep an eye on me. You know as well as anyone else that I would be working regardless."

"Hermione," he tried, his voice softening as he closed the door to provide them with more privacy, "I have allowed you to stretch the rules, I have given you more leniency than I probably should, but you are the most competent person that has held the position you are currently in. However, I will not allow you to undermine my authority."

Hermione looked at him with a neutral expression, her voice level as she said, "Then bring a healer here."

He grumbled something under his breath, and Hermione knew that she had won. With a defeated shake of his head, he left her office, only to be replaced by Luna and Neville, both of who were hiding smirks. The allowed him to exit, murmuring their respect as he passed. Luna entered the office first, waving cheerily at Draco, who returned it with a smile. Neville gave him a nod, but it was more than he had expected, and he found himself returning it without thinking twice.

"You're looking well, Hermione," Luna said lightly, lowering herself into a chair, "A little bit drained though, there's much less color around you than normal."

"Thank you both for coming," Hermione said with a genuine smile, not acknowledging the second half of Luna's statement.

"It's not like we could say no, not that we would want to," Neville answered.

"Let's get started, then. Draco, if anyone disturbs you, let me or Ginny know. We'll take care of it," Hermione said as she made her way to the door, trusting the man to be alone in her office.

"And if anyone is looking for you?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged, her hand on the doorknob. "Whatever you feel like telling them."

This elicited a nod and a chuckle from Draco, who turned back to his book as the three closed the door behind them. Hermione ignored the heaviness of her limbs as she made her way to the holding cells, Luna and Neville right behind her the whole time. The agents they passed quickly busied themselves looking at something else to hide the smiles on their faces, as Kingsley had clearly failed to send the witch home.

"Morning, Bobby," Hermione greeted as they approached the entrance to the holding cells.

"Morning, Ms. Gr- I mean, Hermione," he said, quickly correcting himself, which earned a smile from the witch. His cheeks colored slightly. He was always surprised by the casual way she interacted with everyone, unless the situation demanded otherwise, something he had not quite grown accustomed to since beginning at the Ministry.

"Care to let us in? We'll be questioning some of the detainees from yesterday's," Hermione paused in consideration, "incident."

"I'd love to, but, erm, you aren't supposed to be here?" he stammered, his statement sounding more like a question.

"Don't worry, Bobby, Hermione won't be asking any questions, and Neville will be keeping an eye on things the whole time," Luna said brightly.

The young man worried his lip between his teeth, unsure of what he was supposed to do. He knew Hermione was not supposed to be at work, and wasn't sure how to proceed without risking his job.

"You won't lose your job, it's okay. Kingsley knows I'm here," Hermione reassured, "But if you'd prefer it in writing I'd be more than happy to assure you that you will face no disciplinary action."

"Erm, no, it's okay. I believe you, Hermione. I'm just not used to...well, everything," he said with a sheepish smile.

She smiled gently at him, stepping through the door after Neville and Luna. "I understand. It takes time. You're doing wonderfully."

His chest swelled with pride as the door closed behind Hermione. She indulged her smile for a few moments before the cell came into view. Her expression sobered as she recalled the previous day's events. She allowed Luna and Neville to stay in front of her as they moved one of the detainees into a plain room with a steel door. Luna and Hermione waited outside as Neville situated himself in an adjacent room, waiting for his signal that they could begin. The door swung open and Luna and Hermione stepped in, sitting opposite the detainee, who was bound at the wrists and ankles to the chair.

Hermione leaned back in her own chair, letting Luna take the lead. Something about Luna simultaneously put them at ease and caught them off guard where it mattered. Luna always got the best results from their detainees, and Hermione wanted nothing less than the best. The detainee looked between Hermione and Luna, both of them sitting in silence. Luna's blue eyes studied the detainee, her unblinking gaze making them shift uncomfortably in their seat. Hermione observed their behavior as Luna went through the questions, remaining silent the whole time and just acting as an extra pair of eyes.

"So, what do you call yourselves?" Luna asked after going through several routine questions, some of which were unanswered.

"We are the Arthurian Order," they said, suspiciously eying Luna.

Luna glanced at Hermione, and the brunette nodded.

Luna turned back to the detainee, staring at them in silence. Under the weight of her gaze, they began to fidget as much as they were able, growing increasingly uncomfortable.

Eventually, they blurted, "It's a revived organization aiming to take down those in power and establish a new order."

"By assassinating people?" Hermione scoffed.

The detainee met her eyes, glaring at her harshly, "By eliminating those who would stand in our way."

Hermione met his gaze unflinchingly, staying calmly in her seat. He sneered at her, and Luna decided to intervene, realizing they got all the information they'd be able to.

"Neville?" she called, effectively ending the interrogation.

"You got it," came his staticky voice.

The door swung open and he entered, the three of them escorting the detainee back to the holding cell. Hermione was deep in thought as the cell door was locked, and Luna and Neville discussed quietly so as not to disturb her. She worried her lip between her teeth as she made her way back to her department, almost missing her stop on the elevator. When she saw Ginny, she gestured to her office without a word. The redhead nodded, finishing her conversation with a field agent. Hermione entered her office, the door slamming behind her. Draco peered at her from behind his book, sinking further into the chair. She threw herself into her chair, drumming her fingers against her desk as she glowered at the door. A few moments later, Ginny entered her office, not at all surprised at the expression on Hermione's face.

"I take it the interrogation went well?" she asked jokingly.

"Depends on what your definition of well is. We got plenty of information, but none of it is thrilling. Apparently, the Arthurian Order has been reestablished. Whatever that is," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

Ginny hummed in thought, trying to remember if she had ever come across anything that mentioned them. "I don't think I've ever heard of them."

"I haven't either," Hermione admitted, leaning back in her chair tiredly.

"Why don't you go home for the day?" Ginny suggested, " I'm sure you're still exhausted from yesterday. You've done enough work for today, let me take care of things until tomorrow."

Hermione looked at Ginny, sighing in defeat. "Yeah, okay."

"Good," Ginny said with a firm nod.

"Draco, let's go home," Hermione said, grabbing her cloak as she stood up from her chair, "Will you swing by for dinner tonight?"

"I'd love to," Ginny said, giving Hermione a hug.

Hermione and Draco made their way to the floo, Hermione beginning to trudge as they grew nearer. When Draco stepped through the floo behind her, he grabbed her arm to steady her. She gave him a grateful smile and allowed him to help her upstairs to her room. She subtly glanced at Bellatrix's door as they passed, but she didn't have the energy to go anywhere but bed. She thanked Draco at the door to her room, tiredly pushing it open. She collapsed on her bed over the covers, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

When Hermione woke up, it was completely dark in her room. As she pushed herself up, she discovered she was still in her work robes. She opened the curtain, seeing that it was nearing dusk. She quickly changed into something more comfortable but still appropriate for dinner and made her way downstairs. Narcissa was just about to knock on Hermione's door when it opened, catching the blonde witch by surprise. She offered her arm out to Hermione who took it after some hesitation.

"Thank you for coming to get me," Hermione whispered.

"I know you want to get to the bottom of things, but you shouldn't push yourself so hard," Narcissa said gently.

"I'm going to stay home tomorrow," Hermione said, appeasing the blonde.

Narcissa nodded, taking the brunt of Hermione's weight- which didn't feel like much- as they descended the stairs. Ginny and Draco were already waiting in the dining room for them, chatting amicably about the latest Quidditch matches.

"How are you doing, 'Mione?" Ginny asked when the brunette sat down.

"Exhausted," she admitted, scooping up peas.

"Please tell me you're going to stay home and rest tomorrow," she said.

"Yes, mum," Hermione teased.

Ginny just rolled her eyes and Narcissa and Draco hid their smiles behind bites of food. Hermione chuckled and gave Ginny a sincere nod. Ginny nodded in satisfaction, turning her attention back to her food. She loved spending time at Malfoy Manor more than she ever imagined. Not because it was fancy, but because it was nice to be away from the Burrow and with people she considered friends. Of course, she had already considered Hermione to be a friend, but now she saw Draco as a friend, and Narcissa could almost be a second mom, one with more attention to give her. That wasn't to say she didn't love or appreciate her family, but sometimes they got a bit out of hand and there were so many of them.

"Have you sold your parent's house yet?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Erm, no. Not yet. Why?" Hermione said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Can I buy it?" Ginny asked, "I think it's time I had my own place."

"If you want it, it's yours, Gin. You don't want to live where there are other witches and wizards?" Hermione responded.

"I mean, I'd love to, but finding a place is a hassle."

"Ginny, dear, there's an old property in my family a few kilometers outside Hogsmeade. It's a small summer cottage but it hasn't been used in decades. You're more than welcome to make it yours," Narcissa offered.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, almost dropping her utensil.

Narcissa nodded. "I haven't been since I was a child, it's just sitting there. Someone should put it to good use."

"I- yeah, I'd love to buy it," Ginny said.

"We can go see it this weekend," Narcissa offered.

"Thank you so much," Ginny said, smiling widely.

Narcissa returned her smile, the four of them finishing their meal in relative silence. Hermione allowed Ginny to help her up the stairs and to her room when they had finished eating. Hermione gestured for Ginny to sit on the bed with her.

"How are things at the Burrow?" She asked, leaning her head against the headboard.

"Pretty typical. I think it's about time I have my own space. Like, my actual own space. Mum is fretting because of what happened yesterday and she's concerned about you but won't admit it because she's still mad about you sponsoring Draco. I'm just getting tired of it. I'm an adult, I have a good job, I deserve to have my own place to live."

Hermione bumped her shoulder against Ginny's playfully, "That and if you meet anyone you can't really bring them home without it being a big deal with everyone. I'm sure Harry would be awkward."

Ginny groaned, playfully slapping Hermione on the shoulder. "You know he would be, you were there last time. Honestly, I'm not sure how you managed to deal with living with Ron after the two of you broke up. At least Harry isn't as pitiful."

"It was easy enough to throw myself into work to avoid him. Although that did seem to make him poutier."

Ginny chuckled, leaning against Hermione. "Unless Ron gets exactly what he wants when he wants it, he'll be a brat."

"Don't I know it!" Hermione laughed. "Have you met anyone?"

"No, but I'm not really looking. I'm content, for now. Maybe when I've had time living by myself I'll want someone."

Hermione nodded, laying her head against Ginny's shoulder. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"No, mum is already upset with how little I've been home lately. It'll make her happy if I'm there for breakfast in the morning."

"I'll let you get going. It's getting late," Hermione mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"If I see you at work tomorrow, I will kick your arse," Ginny threatened lightly as she rose from the bed and made her way to the door.

Hermione chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You and Narcissa both."

* * *

When Hermione woke this time, there was no light, even from the moon. She blinked several times, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she sat up. She wasn't sure what had woken her up, but she most certainly didn't feel tired anymore. Rising from her bed, she felt around for her wand. With a flick, the tip of her wand glowed faintly and she searched the room for something to wear over her pajamas. In her wardrobe, she found a robe that she pulled on before she slipped out of her room and padded barefoot down the hall to Bellatrix's room. The door opened with ease, a faint light filling the room as she entered. She stored her wand in her sleeve, sitting on the edge of Bellatrix's bed and leaning against the bedpost.

Bellatrix felt her consciousness being tugged gently to the surface as Hermione entered her room. She felt the bed sink where Hermione sat on it and she wished she could reach out to touch the brunette witch.

"I'm not sure how to hear you like Narcissa does. I barely have the energy to light my wand, let alone use legilimancy. I keep thinking about why no one wanted to believe me," Hermione yawned, "That you helped us, I mean. Everyone is comfortable just thinking I managed to figure everything out in the nick of time, and they're comfortable letting you be punished."

_"That's just the way things happen,"_ Bellatrix thought, willing her body to move.

"I wish this hadn't happened to you. I could really use your help," Hermione admitted, her head starting to slip off the bedpost.

_"Talk to me, Hermione,"_ she thought, trying harder to make herself move before she ran out of time.

Hermione yawned, repositioning her head on the bedpost. "I need a vacation from all this crap."

Bellatrix mentally chuckled, knowing just how exhausting it was. It was like running on a hamster wheel. She could tell that Hermione was starting to fall asleep, but she willed herself to hold on to her consciousness. She didn't want to be stuck inside herself, not anymore. She knew she could claw her way back into her body, had already been making progress. The insanity she had once possessed had buried her deep in her subconscious, to the point where she was already just a passenger in her body. It had made everything easier, and as time passed, her sanity was pushed so far down not even Dementors could find it. She had seen other people who had been kissed, and there was no mistaking that they were just bodies, but if there was anyone in the world able to survive a Dementor's Kiss, she wasn't surprised she was the one.

"Someone tried to kill me the other day," Hermione blurted suddenly, "Or at least, I think they were trying to kill me."

Panic surged through Bellatrix, and she could almost feel that confession forcing her into her body completely.

"We interviewed one of them today. He said they were called the Arthurian Order."

This time, the panic Bellatrix felt was enough to force herself back into her mind. With great effort, she sucked in a deep breath that forced itself into her lungs as a gasp. Her eyes shot open as she exhaled, trying to move her heavy limbs. The sudden action caught Hermione's attention, startling her into complete alertness.

"NARCISSA!" she bellowed, moving to Bellatrix's bedside.

Moments later, Narcissa burst into the room, having been in the hallway on her way to administer Bellatrix's potions. "What's wrong?"

"She's awake," Hermione breathed, looking from Bellatrix to her sister in the doorway.

Narcissa nearly dropped the potions she was carrying, bracing herself against the doorframe.

"There's a book in the library," Bellatrix rasped, her tongue thick and her mouth dry, "_As Day Turns to Knight_."

"How did you?" Hermione began, flinching when Bellatrix suddenly began coughing from the effort it took to speak.

"Let me take care of her, Hermione," Narcissa said, rushing forward.

Hermione moved to the corner of the room, watching Narcissa administer the potions to her sister. She paced from wall to wall, feeling Bellatrix's eyes track her every move. Narcissa stayed by her sister's side, helping her move her arms and legs. Hermione stopped pacing, her eyes meeting Bellatrix's. She couldn't help the sharp inhale she took when her eyes locked with Bellatrix's dark ones, falling into their depths. Bellatrix pulled Hermione into her mind, bringing forth the memories of everything she had come across about the Arthurian Order. It was hard not to move into the younger witch's mind, but easy to keep her there because of how exhausted she was. Hermione didn't offer Bellatrix any resistance as she observed conversations and passages in books long lost. With the last of her energy, Bellatrix guided Hermione out of her mind, her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep. The sudden event left Hermione shocked and drained, and when Bellatrix pushed her back into her own mind, she collapsed. Bracing to hit the floor, Hermione was surprised when slim arms caught her. Groaning, Hermione raised a hand to her temple, looking up to find Narcissa holding her up.

"Let me help you to bed," Narcissa whispered gently, wrapping her arm around Hermione's waist and draping the brunette's arm over her shoulders.

"How did that happen?" Hermione mumbled, stumbling even with Narcissa's help.

Narcissa adjusted her grip on Hermione, nearly lifting the younger witch off her feet. "My sister is a very talented witch. Even in her weakened state, she is more of a witch than some will ever be. It's easier because you have a connection to her already."

"My scar," Hermione said, leaning her head against Narcissa's shoulder.

"Yes. It's very dangerous, but you are compatible with each other, so it only left you drained. That, and you have already exerted yourself so much the past few days. You must rest, Hermione. You can't help anyone this way." Narcissa lifted Hermione onto her bed, maneuvering her under the blanket.

"I need to figure this out." Hermione struggled against the gentle hand on her chest, knowing it was futile.

"I'll bring you the book she was talking about, but you have to promise me you'll rest in bed until you're cleared by a healer."

Narcissa's tone left no room for argument, so Hermione just nodded with the energy she could muster. With a satisfied nod, Narcissa removed her hand, taking up residence in the chair after transfiguring it into something more comfortable for long-term occupation. Hermione let herself sink into the mattress, surrendering to sleep under the vigilance of the blonde witch. Narcissa watched over Hermione the entire night, giving her calming droughts when she got too restless. She found herself drifting to sleep when Hermione was sound asleep, waking at every little noise. She took extra care not to wake Hermione, even when it was time for breakfast the next morning. Instead, she quietly ate while she made sure no light came in through the drapes. It was lunchtime when Hermione stirred with a slightly pained groan. Narcissa snapped to attention, helping Hermione sit up and holding a glass of water to her lips. She forced Hermione to take small sips, adjusting the pillow at her back before returning to her chair.

"How long have you been here?" Hermione mumbled, letting her eyes fall closed.

"I never left," Narcissa answered.

Hermione's eyes snapped open. "You stayed? All night? Didn't you sleep?"

"Of course I stayed." Narcissa looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I slept here and there."

"I would've been okay," Hermione said.

"I may not be your mother, Hermione, but I am a mother. You needed one last night." Narcissa covered Hermione's hand with her own, offering her a tired smile.

Hermione looked directly at Narcissa, much as she had with Bellatrix the night before. "Thank you."

"You must rest for a while, Hermione. I won't allow you to argue with me this time. I will indulge your research, as long as you do not overexert yourself. I had an elf bring the book my sister mentioned last night." Narcissa reached for the book on the nightstand, passing it into Hermione's hands.

"Thank you." Hermione opened the book, looking back up at Narcissa. "Can you owl Ginny for me? There are some things she and I need to discuss when she gets off work."

"She sent an owl this morning, she'll be over." Narcissa paused, smoothing her hair. "She also said Harry and Ron want to visit today."

Hermione frowned at the book in her hands. "I'd rather not see them here."

Narcissa nodded in understanding, placing a hand on Hermione's ankle. "Hopefully they understand."

"Yeah," Hermione mumbled, turning her attention to her book.

Narcissa stayed by her side, reminding her to eat and drink. Hermione appreciated the silent company, even if she didn't verbalize it to the blonde witch. The book Bellatrix had told her about was interesting enough, but her exhaustion had finally caught up to her and she could only read a few pages at a time before she needed a break. Narcissa had offered to read to her the first few times, but Hermione insisted she could do it. Narcissa gave in after the first few times but gave Hermione a pointed look each time to let her know the offer still stood. Hermione gave her a grateful smile but shook her head gently each time. Relaxing into the pillows, Hermione closed her eyes, letting out an irritated sigh.

"I need to do something."

Narcissa gave her a stern look, but her face softened when she saw the look on Hermione's expression. "Perhaps a walk," she proposed.

"I'll take that. Have you not checked on Bellatrix?"

Hermione pushed herself up, grimacing, and accepting the help from Narcissa. A slim arm encircled her waist as one of her own was draped over Narcissa's shoulders. She leaned heavily on the blonde witch, keeping still until the dizziness subsided.

"Draco is watching over her," she answered once Hermione was up and no longer dizzy.

"I feel terrible," Hermione grunted, her legs shaking as she tried to take a step forward.

"Perhaps we should just go visit Bellatrix. I'll send for Andromeda to check on you after dinner." Narcissa shifted to support more of Hermione's weight as they crossed the hall.

Hermione tried to protest but found herself unable to. She forced herself to take deep breaths as she mumbled, "I did not feel this bad even right after."

Narcissa opened the door to Bellatrix's room, answering Hermione with a simple, "It took time to catch up to you."

Draco stood as they entered the room, rushing to Hermione's other side and draping her arm over his shoulder. He helped Narcissa guide her to the chair he had been sitting in, lowering her gently and turning to Narcissa to say, "She hasn't woken up once."

Narcissa let out a dejected sigh, draping a blanket around Hermione's shoulders and summoning chairs. She sat heavily, sinking into the chair in a manner that betrayed her age. Draco reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly, offering her a small smile. Narcissa reached for Bellatrix's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Mum, Ginny should be here soon. When you're done, Hermione, we'll be in the library."

"Thanks, Draco," Hermione said, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders as she looked up at him.

He nodded, closing the door behind him, leaving the three witches in silence.

"I haven't found anything yet." Hermione brushed her hair out of her face. "I can't make sense of very much."

Narcissa remained silent, continuing to hold her sister's hand. Hermione reached out uncertainly, looking like she wanted to place a hand on Bellatrix's arm. Eventually, she decided to just lay her hand on the bed and stared at it.

Hermione picked at the threads of the blanket. "I'm scared," she mumbled, looking up at Bellatrix.

Narcissa placed her other hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"I need your help, Bellatrix," Hermione said, reaching out and laying her hand on Bellatrix's shoulder.

Bellatrix stirred when Hermione's hand made contact with her shoulder, her eyelids fluttering until they opened. She groaned, trying to raise a hand to her head but finding herself unable to. Narcissa jumped out of her chair, helping her sister sit up and piling pillows behind her. She grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand, holding it to Bellatrix's lips. She drank greedily, letting her head fall back when she was finished. Narcissa set the glass down, throwing her arms around Bellatrix.

"I wish I could hug you back," Bellatrix rasped, "But I haven't gotten there yet."

"I'm just glad to have you back," Narcissa mumbled into her shoulder, holding back tears.

Bellatrix turned her head to Hermione, mouthing a silent, "Thank you," to the younger witch.

Hermione nodded silently, trying to allow the two witches a semblance of privacy.

"Don't be scared, Hermione. You can do this," Bellatrix encouraged, leaning her cheek against Narcissa's head, "It feels so good to be awake."

"I'll give you two some privacy," Hermione mumbled as she pushed herself up from the chair.

"Let me help," Narcissa said, pulling away from Bellatrix.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll have an elf take me to the library."

Narcissa looked like she wanted to protest, but Bellatrix interjected with, "She'll be okay, Cissy. She's stronger than you realize."

Narcissa's mouth formed a tight line, but she nodded anyway. Bellatrix sent Hermione a wink in response to the thankful smile. Hermione made her way slowly to the door, leaning heavily against it after it was closed behind her. She took several slow, deep breaths before she called for a house-elf to take her to the library where Draco and Ginny were probably waiting already.

Draco and Ginny leaped to their feet to steady Hermione when she appeared in the library, the house-elf doing his best to help by bracing her leg. They lowered her onto a chair, hovering over her until she waved them away with annoyance.

"I'm not that fragile," she snapped, immediately softening her voice and murmuring, "I'm sorry."

"We don't think you're fragile," Ginny said, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder, "We're just concerned and we know how stubborn you are. You'd do everything on your own if you could."

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, "Draco, could we have the room, please?"

"Of course," Draco said, closing the library doors behind him.

Ginny perched on the arm of Hermione's chair, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

Hermione sighed, leaning her head against Ginny's side. "I'm tired, Gin."

"I know," Ginny mumbled, squeezing her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a long time until Hermione finally took a deep breath and pulled her head away. "What did you find out today?"

"Not much. We tried interviewing some of the others but Luna didn't get anything new out of them. I brought you the transcripts in case we missed anything." Ginny got up, digging around in a briefcase for the files and handing them to Hermione. "You know Kingsley will be livid if he finds out."

Hermione took them, patting the arm of her chair and flipping through them. "I'll handle it."

Ginny laughed, returning to her spot. "I know you will. Harry and Ron have been asking about you. I think your close call has them realizing the error of their ways."

"They don't know, do they?" Hermione asked, looking up from the files.

Ginny shook her head. "Nah, they'd go mad and ruin the investigation."

"Let's keep it that way." Hermione paused, looking intensely at one of the photographs. "Hey, Gin, how many Death Eaters were unaccounted for?"

Ginny hummed in consideration. "A few, I'm sure. Why?"

"Look closely at this picture. Remind you of anyone?"

Ginny grabbed the paper from Hermione's hands, staring at it with a furrowed brow. A nagging sense of familiarity tugged at her, but she wasn't able to place it right away.

"Picture a beard and mustache," Hermione supplied.

Ginny tried to picture it, exclaiming "Rookwood!" after a few moments.

"Have Luna put pressure on him. They must all be using aliases because that isn't the name on the transcript. See if you can't bring me the unaccounted Death Eater flies so I can go through them side by side. There might be a connection there, maybe Luna can find out. Keep him in a separate cell so he doesn't get hurt." Hermione glanced through the other pictures in the files, none of them sticking out at her as being familiar.

"Consider it done, boss."

Hermione looked up at Ginny. "Will you stay tonight?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Ginny laughed, throwing her arm back over Hermione's shoulders.

"Is it bad at home?" Hermione wrapped her arm around Ginny's waist when the redhead wobbled, steadying her and leaving her arm there.

"Thanks," Ginny said, "A little more than usual. Everyone is worried to pieces about you, but they're also still upset about Draco. Well, I think it's more that you left than anything."

Hermione frowned. "They could write."

Ginny put her chin on Hermione's head, mumbling, "I know, Mione."

Hermione sighed, leaning into the redhead's embrace.

In an effort to cheer Hermione up, Ginny said, "You'll never guess what happened today."

Hermione made a questioning noise.

"Some of the agents brought in this guy for questioning in a casual setting at their desk, and as soon as the guy was sat in his chair, he tried to make a run for it. Every agent in the department was on top of him. Stunners, entanglements, tackles. The guy was so out of it after."

Hermione chuckled, bringing a smile to Ginny's face. "What an absolute knob. Can you help me to the dining room? I think it's almost dinner time."

Ginny stood from the arm of the chair, sliding an arm around Hermione's waist and helping her to her feet. "Want me to carry you? Just like old times?"

Hermione and Ginny laughed, the brunette holding her sides and leaning heavily on Ginny. "I'll let you know."

The two witches laughed again and Hermione reached for the door to open it for them.

"If Harry and Ron ever found out," Ginny gasped through a fit of laughter.

Hermione rolled her eyes, pushing open the door and finishing, "They would go mad."

"Madder than they are already." Ginny closed the door behind them, the two making their way down the hallway.

When Hermione stumbled, Ginny gave her a sideways look, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "I think you just miss it."

"Maybe I do, but are you really gonna deny me that small piece of joy?" Ginny said, giving Hermione a pleading look.

Hermione rolled her eyes again, muttering, "No, I'm not."

Ginny grinned, sliding her arm under Hermione's knees and Hermione looped her arms around Ginny's neck, unable to help the giggle that left her as Ginny lifted her off the ground. "You're right, I did miss this."

"You know, I think I did, too," Hermione admitted, leaning her head against Ginny's shoulder.

"It has been a while."

Ginny carried Hermione the rest of the way in silence, putting her down right in front of the door. Hermione slung her arm over Ginny's shoulders, making her way slowly into the dining room. Draco and Narcissa were already there, along with Andromeda, who was talking to the blonde witch. Draco looked over when they entered, coming to Hermione's side to help her to the table.

"Hermione, how are you feeling?" Andromeda asked.

"Terrible," she grunted, sending Draco and Ginny appreciative glances.

"It can wait until after dinner, Andromeda," Narcissa said coldly.

"Should I come back?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, stay and have dinner, then check on her and leave." Narcissa took her spot at the head of the table, gesturing for her sister to sit across from Hermione.

Andromeda complied, sitting awkwardly across from Hermione. In an attempt to make her more comfortable, Ginny sat next to her while Draco sat between Hermione and Narcissa. Dinner was a quiet affair. Narcissa wasn't as talkative as usual and Andromeda refrained from saying anything that wasn't directly to Ginny. Draco and Hermione shared concerned glances from time to time, the blond making sure Hermione wasn't struggling too much. Hermione finished about half of her food before exhaustion set in and she gave up, leaning her head on her hand.

"Ginny, dear, could we discuss something in the library?" Narcissa asked when they had finished.

"Of course, but let me just help get Hermione upstairs."

"I'll do it, Ginny," Draco said, gently shaking the resting witch's shoulder.

Ginny nodded, following Narcissa out, leaving Draco, Andromeda, and Hermione in the dining room. Draco pulled Hermione's arm over his shoulders, supporting her waist as he helped her to her feet. Andromeda rushed to her other side, supporting the rest of her weight. They made their way slowly to Hermione's room, taking extra care on the steps. Hermione grunted with pain as they reached the top of the stairs, leaning heavily on Draco.

"She's not doing too great," Andromeda muttered, readjusting Hermione's arm over her shoulders.

"Something happened last night," Draco said, pushing open Hermione's door.

Andromeda lifted Hermione into her arms, laying her on the bed. "What happened?"

Draco straightened his robes nervously. "I'm not exactly sure, but it was something to do with Aunt Bella."

Andromeda's head snapped up. "Draco, What happened?"

"I don't know!" he insisted.

"Andy," Hermione mumbled, lifting her arm feebly, "She pulled me into her head."

Andromeda paled, her head going back and forth between Draco and Hermione before finally settling on the blond and asking, "Where is she?"

"Across the hall," he said, confusion plain on his face.

Andromeda lifted Hermione into her arms, demanding, "Lead me there."

Draco sprung into action, opening Hermione's door and walking quickly to the room Bellatrix was in. He opened the door, pressing himself against it to let Andromeda pass. Andromeda moved hastily through the doorway, laying Hermione on the bed next to Bellatrix.

"Shit," she muttered, watching Hermione's color improve.

"What?" Draco asked, moving closer to the bed.

Andromeda sighed, rubbing her temple. "She won't get better unless she's next to her."

"I don't understand," he said, looking between Hermione and his aunt.

The brunette reached for Andromeda, mumbling, "Andy, what's happening to me?"

"Draco, can you bring your mum and Ginny?" She turned to Hermione, grabbing the hand extended toward her. "You're going to be fine."

Draco nodded, backing out of the room and hurrying to the library, wiping his forehead as he went.

"Hermione, can you tell me what happened?" Andromeda asked, pushing up the sleeve of Hermione's left arm and examining the scar.

Hermione flinched when Andromeda placed her fingers on it. "That hurts."

"Does it?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she examined the puckered, red scar, "How long has it been like this?"

"I don't know," Hermione muttered, trying to pull her arm out of Andromeda's grasp.

"I need you to tell me what happened."

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to push herself upright. "Bellatrix pulled me into her mind to show me something."

"What was she trying to show you?" Andromeda drew her wand, casting a variety of spells over Hermione.

"I can't tell you," she answered, shaking her head.

Andromeda paused what she was doing. "Why not?"

"It's about the attack. I'm not supposed to discuss it." Hermione's eyes met Andromeda's, a trickle of fear seeping out from their depths.

"So, you were talking to her when she pulled you into her head?" she asked, softening her tone.

Hermione nodded, pressing her palm to her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't know what's happening to me," she mumbled, fighting tears.

Andromeda stared helplessly at the witch who had always been so strong. She couldn't recall ever seeing Hermione cry, or even seem scared. Hermione had always been fearless in her eyes, a Gryffindor by all accounts, even when the odds had been stacked against her in every way. She had always faced it without a hint of fear. Andromeda couldn't think of anything to say, so she just wrapped Hermione in her arms.

"I'm sorry about the last time we spoke," she mumbled to the brunette, "I was angry at myself for being unable to forgive my sisters, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Andy. I forgive you," came Hermione's muffled response.

"Andromeda, what's going on?" Narcissa asked breathlessly, rushing to Hermione's side.

Andromeda moved out of her sister's way, allowing the blonde to look over Hermione as she said, "They're bound."

Draco and Ginny exchanged confused looks as Narcissa turned to Andromeda and asked, "What do you mean they're bound?"

"Bellatrix," Andromeda ignored the look Narcissa sent her way, "Forged a permanent connection between them when she pulled Hermione into her head."

"I'm lost," Ginny piped up, sitting next to Hermione on the edge of the bed.

Andromeda took a deep breath to begin, but she was interrupted by Narcissa saying, "When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were brought to the manor, Bellatrix singled out Hermione, having the two boys sent to the dungeons. She made it look like torture, and in a way, it had to be. Hermione says she gave her crucial information during that time, which I believe. The torture served two purposes: a cover for Bellatrix, and a way to condition Hermione to call her magic to her. The knife she used is an enchanted blade, one that has been in the family for generations and magnifies the pain a person feels. When used in a certain way, it causes scars that can't be healed by any means. It requires a large output of magic from the user. In very rare cases, the magic essences of two people are compatible enough that a link can be established in this way. Hermione, your essence latched onto Bella's, which is why you've been drawn to her room. Her essence latched onto yours, too. That's why when you're here, she's more aware. That's why she was able to pull you into her head."

Andromeda continued, explaining, "When she pulled you into her head, it had been after you depleted a large amount of your magic. The core of your essence was exposed. Hers was, too, from when she received the Dementor's Kiss. Your essences had already latched onto each other, so when your cores connected in that brief moment, they connected to each other. Permanently. You can't heal unless you're near each other because part of your essences swapped places."

Hermione took a deep breath, pressing her palms to her eyes. Ginny rested a hand on Hermione's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Draco maintained his position at the wall, looking sympathetically between the witches.

"I can't believe I missed it," Narcissa mumbled, sitting at the foot of the bed, "I was so preoccupied with Bellatrix that I didn't even realize. I'm sorry, Hermione. I should have put the pieces together, but I didn't even notice the signs."

"It's okay," Hermione said.

"You just need some rest," Andromeda assured.

Hermione nodded, moving her hands from her eyes to her sides.

"We'll give you some space," Draco spoke out, reminding everyone of his presence, "Just call if you need us."

Hermione nodded again, grabbing Ginny's hand when she rose to leave. Ginny sat back down, lacing her fingers through Hermione's.

The brunette waited until the door was closed before saying, "Stay in my room. I'd like it if you were close by."

Ginny nodded. "Of course. And I brought you the files from the library." She paused. "How are you doing?"

"It's a lot, on top of so much else. At least I'm not dying. I kind of thought I was."

Ginny smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "We both know you're too stubborn to die just yet. You'll figure it out, you always do."

"Thanks, Gin." Hermione smiled softly, letting her eyes close.

"What are friends for?" Ginny placed the files on the nightstand.

Hermione unlaced their hands, opening her eyes. "You're much more of a friend than Harry or Ron."

Ginny laughed, saying, "Well you and I have a much better history."

Hermione couldn't help but join in. "That's true. Ron couldn't handle not being together. Harry is okay, sometimes, but I think he still sees me as a know-it-all who can't defend herself."

"And I know you're so much more than that," Ginny said, brushing Hermione's hair out of her face, "Get some rest."

Hermione nodded, waiting until Ginny was at the door to say, "The woman you marry is going to be so lucky to have you."

Ginny turned to her, a teasing smirk pulling her lips up. "Wish I could say the same about you, but you're a handful on a good day."

Hermione rolled her eyes, unable to feign annoyance because a laugh escaped her. Ginny laughed as she left, waving goodbye. Hermione stared at the ceiling for several long, quiet minutes. She turned her head to the nightstand, eying the pile of files Ginny had brought her before turning her head to the other side. She had been acutely aware of Bellatrix's proximity since Andromeda had put her on the bed and had done her best not to think about it. When her eyes fell on the dark witch, she was surprised to find Bellatrix staring at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, you know," she rasped, looking out of the corner of her eye at Hermione.

Hermione was taken aback by the apology, turning onto her side to face Bellatrix. "Why?"

"You didn't ask for this."

"I asked for your help," Hermione pointed out.

"Not like this," Bellatrix said, squeezing her eyes closed.

Hermione shrugged. "It's better than nothing. Besides, there are worse people I could be bound to."

Bellatrix couldn't help the small smile that pulled at her lips but it quickly faded. "Like who?"

"Rookwood."

"Haven't you heard? I'm the big bad Death Eater, Rookwood is nothing compared to me."

"Well, you didn't try to kill me," Hermione said with a smile.

Bellatrix strained to turn her head to Hermione, finally turning enough to look at the younger witch who smiled gently at her. "He's one of them."

It wasn't a question, but Hermione nodded anyway.

"Who else?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes darting over Hermione's face.

"We don't know yet. We have names but they're aliases. I only happened to recognize him from the photo in his file." Hermione watched Bellatrix's eyes dart back and forth, trying not to let her own eyes wander.

"You've grown up so much," Bellatrix whispered, her gaze meeting Hermione's.

Hermione smiled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "You look younger."

"Does it really hurt?" she asked, her eyes moving to Hermione's arm.

Hermione shifted, pulling up her sleeve. Bellatrix sucked in a breath, staring regretfully at the scar on Hermione's arm. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hermione shook her head.

"I don't want you to apologize. You did what you had to do. We all did. It's the price we had to pay to end the war."

Bellatrix managed to nod, her eyes glued to Hermione's arm. Hermione yawned, rubbing the back of her hand over her eyes.

"You should sleep," Bellatrix whispered.

"Why me?" Hermione asked, ignoring the heaviness of her eyelids.

Bellatrix gave her a confused look.

"Why did you choose me instead of Harry or Ron?"

A smile formed on Bellatrix's face. "You don't need me to tell you that."

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe I just want you to."

"Still feeling lost?" Bellatrix asked, furrowing her brow as she tried to move her arms but was unsuccessful.

"A little," she admitted, her voice small.

"If I had hurt Harry, I would have been killed, never mind the fact that he would be too busy hating me to believe a word I said. Ron wouldn't have been able to handle it, and he wouldn't be able to listen to what I was saying. But you, Hermione, you're smart and strong and kind. You were afraid, but you still faced me, and then you gave me a chance to explain. You believed me and you were smart enough to put the clues together." Bellatrix tried to reach out to Hermione, but her arm still wouldn't obey.

"Why did you help us?"

Bellatrix sighed, looking back up at the ceiling. "You reminded me of myself. Who I could have been. After the Department of Mysteries fiasco, it nagged at me, but it wasn't until Draco almost killed Dumbledore that I started to figure things out. Things went so wrong. I love my sisters more than anything, but I lost myself protecting them, and when I saw Draco at that moment, I realized how much I had failed. For months I tried to think of a way to change things, and then it was brought right to me."

Hermione yawned again, burying her face in the blanket.

"You should rest," Bellatrix said again.

Hermione yawned, sleepily mumbling, "Thank you."

Bellatrix stared at the ceiling until she heard Hermione's breathing even out. She turned her head to face the sleeping witch, a small smile on her face. She took a deep breath, her eyes closing peacefully.

"You're welcome, Hermione."

* * *

Narcissa and Andromeda stood in front of the floo, neither of them saying a word but both wanting to. Andromeda shuffled her feet, looking at the ground while Narcissa pretended to observe the room.

Finally, Andromeda looked up and said, "Narcissa, I'm sorry."

Narcissa raised a brow, silently gesturing for her estranged sister to elaborate.

"I'm sorry for leaving you and Bellatrix behind. For assuming that the two of you hated me and were evil. I never gave you a chance, and that was wrong of me." Andromeda lowered her gaze back to the floor, prepared for her sister to ask her to leave.

"Did you never wonder why father didn't have you killed for leaving?" Narcissa asked, still not looking at her sister.

Andromeda felt her cheeks flush in shame. "No."

"Bellatrix took that beating for you," Narcissa turned to Andromeda, her eyes flashing with anger and sorrow, "Father almost killed her. It was the payment he took from her for allowing you to go safely. After that, she had to marry Lestrange, and he introduced her to Voldemort. Lucius had ties to him already, and I was about to marry him, so she joined Voldemort's Death Eaters to make sure Lucius didn't fail, knowing he would punish him through me. It got worse when Draco was born. You think we didn't want to leave, but we did. It was just too late."

"I'm sorry," she said again, taking a step back.

"Bellatrix has only ever done things to protect us. She didn't want to live that life, but she chose to. For us, and we didn't even try to help her, Andy," Narcissa said, her voice breaking as tears started to spill.

"Cissy," Andromeda mumbled, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug.

"We abandoned her," Narcissa cried, clenching her fists in Andromeda's robes.

Andromeda felt fresh shame course through her.

"I just want my sisters back," Naricssa admitted softly, burying her face in Andromeda's shoulder.

Narcissa felt a hand rub her back soothingly while another hand cradled her head. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears. Andromeda rested her chin on top of Narcissa's head, holding on tightly to her sister. They stayed that way until Narcissa had stopped crying, delicately pulling back and wiping her cheeks.

"I missed you, Andy," she mumbled.

"I missed you, too. I never should have left without the two of you."

Narcissa sent her sister a soft smile. "What's done is done. All we can do now is move forward."

Andromeda nodded, taking a handful of floo powder. "I'll be back tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Narcissa waved Andromeda goodbye, wiping her face one more time before turning and leaving the room as her sister departed in a burst of green flames.


	6. Recovery

**A/N: I did not mean to take so long to bring you all an update for this story. My muse, when present, has been focused on other things but I am so happy to finally be able to update for you. I hope you're all doing well and I'm excited for you all to read this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

_Fight for what_

_What we want_

_Doesn't matter the cost_

_Every day_

_Put in work_

_Blood sweat and tears_

_-Evolve, _Ki:Theory

* * *

Harry shifted his weight from one foot to the other, debating whether he should knock or not. Hermione had made it clear she didn't want them to visit her at Malfoy Manor, but he was worried about her and he missed her. He was ready to work on their friendship and he wanted to check up on her. Reminding himself that he had faced Voldemort when he was just a child, he raised his fist and knocked on the door. He wasn't sure if it was his nerves or not, but he could swear he heard the sound echo through the large house. A moment later, Narcissa pulled it open, surprised to see him there but remaining composed nonetheless.

"Mister Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, keeping herself firmly settled in the door so he couldn't slip inside.

Harry wrung his hands in front of him, looking up and saying, "I know she said she didn't want us to visit here, but I was hoping I could see Hermione. I, erm, I wanted to talk to her about how I've been acting and check up on how she's feeling."

Narcissa considered him for a moment, debating turning him away but deciding against it and gesturing him into the entryway. "Let me ask her if she's willing to see you. Please try not to wander off while I'm gone."

Harry nodded even though she had already turned and headed up the stairs, doing his best not to fidget. Narcissa cast him a subtle glance as she reached the top of the stairs, satisfied that he was still in the same spot. She continued to the room Hermione was in, along with her sister, which was part of the reason she had left him down there. Hermione had expressed no desire to have Ron or Harry visit her here, but she supposed it was a good sign that Harry just showed up. Sure, he was disregarding Hermione's request, but he seemed to genuinely want to make up. Narcissa gently pushed open the door to her sister's room, finding both witches asleep. Her sister hadn't moved an inch but Hermione had gradually gravitated closer to Bellatrix over the past few days. She found it sweet.

"Hermione," Narcissa whispered, gently waking her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Hermione intoned, rolling so her face was pressed into her pillow.

Narcissa couldn't help but smile fondly at the action her sister had often done upon being woken. "Harry came to see you."

Hermione groaned into the pillow, reluctantly pushing herself up. "Where is he?"

"I'll take you," she insisted.

"Cissa, I've been resting for I don't even know how many days now! I barely leave the bed, I'm fine!" Hermione rubbed the sleep from her face, cringing at the harshness of her tone. "Sorry."

The blonde witch had the grace not to seem offended, which Hermione appreciated. "I know you've been feeling restless, which is why I didn't turn him away outright, but I will take you so I can keep an eye on how well you're doing. You'll have privacy once you two are settled."

Hermione nodded, her cheeks tinged pink with shame. "I don't mean to snap at you. I really do appreciate you taking care of me, it's just frustrating that I can't do my job."

Narcissa offered Hermione an arm and a soft smile. "I understand, Hermione. You're so used to taking care of everything that it's difficult to have to wait for other people to get the job done. I know you want to find out what's going on and I promise you your friends do, too. You can't help anyone if you aren't at your best."

Hermione found herself returning the smile as she looped her arm through Narcissa's, allowing the blonde witch to walk her to the entryway where Harry was waiting patiently. He broke into a grin upon seeing her and she found herself returning the sentiment.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed, rushing forward and engulfing her in a gentle hug as Narcissa made her exit.

"Hi, Harry," she whispered, squeezing him tightly, "Have you finally come to your senses?"

He laughed, his cheeks reddening. "Yeah, I just wish I could say the same for everyone else. Sorry it took so long."

"I forgive you." Hermione affectionately slapped his cheeks, pulling a laugh from both of them.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as if suddenly remembering why he had come.

Hermione looped her arm through his, pulling him into step with her toward the library. "Better now that I've got some company. It's boring having to rest all the time but I think I'll be able to come back to work soon."

"I'm sorry I haven't really been there for you," Harry mumbled, his attention caught by the walls of books. Of course, Hermione would bring him to the library.

She waved off his apology. "You're here now, that's more important."

"I-I realized something recently. I've been thinking a lot since we last saw each other. I realized that you're right, Hermione. About Bellatrix, and Draco, and, well, everything, really. I wish it hadn't taken me so long but we both know I can be a little thick." He sat down in a chair across from Hermione, bouncing his leg up and down.

Hermione pulled her legs under her, leaning against the arm of the chair. "It's not too late for Draco. He's been doing really well, actually."

"Do you think I could talk to him?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're both adults Harry, if you feel like you can have a conversation instead of an argument then yes. As long as he wants to talk to you."

Harry smiled, forcing his leg to still. "I know that I haven't been great, but I want to be. If you need anything, 'Mione, anything at all, I've got your back."

"I appreciate that, Harry."

Harry nodded, and they fell into a partly awkward, partly comfortable silence. Hermione seemed lost in thought as they sat there and Harry didn't blame her. A lot rested on her shoulders, had been resting on her shoulders for a long time. He had thought it was difficult to be the Chosen One, but it had been so much harder to get him where he needed to be. After the war, Hermione had worked harder than all of them, had so much more responsibility. She had always seemed to bear it with ease but now Harry could see the toll it was taking on his childhood friend and he worried for her.

"I should get going, it's almost my turn for guard duty but it was nice to see you, Hermione," Harry finally said, standing from the chair and leaning down to hug her.

"Thank you for stopping by, Harry," Hermione whispered in his ear, watching him go with a sigh. She was ready to be more helpful than she had been lately. All she had done was look over files and cross-referenced the people in custody with the uncaptured Death Eaters. It had borne some results, there were five Death Eaters that had been captured as members of the Arthurian Order and they had uncovered a little more about their plans thanks to that information. She had even learned a little bit more about the Order's history from the book Bellatrix had told her about. She hadn't spoken to her about it more, not wanting to bring it up.

So far, they had discovered that the Arthurian Order was targeting people who pushed for extreme change, confirming Hermione and Ginny's theory that they hadn't actually been targeting Kingsley. It had its roots during the time of King Arthur, though they had nothing to do with him. Rather, the Arthurian Order was formed by a collection of nobles that had opposed King Arthur's claim to Camelot and sought to undermine his rule from the shadows. It was originally created by Muggles but was overtaken by wizards after Morgan le Fay joined Arthur's court. They had disbanded when she was banished and replaced with Merlin, and had reappeared and disappeared a few times throughout the centuries. From Bellatrix's memories, she understood that the reformation of the Order was a backup plan to Voldemort, or that it had supplemented his followers, or something along those lines. It had happened so fast that she wasn't sure what the memory was and she didn't have the heart to ask Bellatrix to relive it.

"Hermione?" Draco asked, peering into the library, "Are you okay?"

Startled from her reverie, she nearly fell out of her chair. "Just thinking, Draco. Trying to solve this whole mess."

"I was thinking, since it's almost mum's birthday, that we should go shopping for her," he offered, leaning against the doorframe.

"That sounds nice. And, lucky for us, the Head Auror and Head of War Crimes approved going out without Aurors. Now we just have to get past your mom," Hermione grinned, pushing herself out of the chair.

"Aunt Andromeda is bringing Teddy over," he answered, offering his arm to Hermione "That'll keep both of them busy for a while."

She gave him a look as she looped her arm through his. "It's almost as if you've been planning this."

Draco smirked at her, letting her draw her own conclusions. He knew she had already figured him out, she wasn't easy to trick by any means, but it was still a fun game to play. It kept them both entertained. Draco waited outside the door while Hermione changed into something more suitable for going out in. It was hardly a surprise when she emerged in jeans and a plain shirt, since she almost always preferred to wear Muggle clothes unless the situation demanded something else. He took her outstretched arm, feeling the twisting in his gut that signified Side-Along Apparition. When he oriented himself, he found that they were in Diagon Alley, toward the end with Ollivander's.

"What kind of things does your mom like?" Hermione asked, deciding to get the blonde witch a present. She knew that was why Draco made a point of telling her what the trip was for because she wouldn't have asked if he hadn't disclosed the reason.

"You've been with us for how long, Hermione?" he teased, starting off down the alley.

She rolled her eyes, easily catching up to him and matching his pace. "I know what she's interested in, if that's what you mean. Should I get her books or potion ingredients or what?"

Draco just shook his head. "I can't tell you what to get her. It has to be from you. When you find it, you'll know."

"How helpful," she muttered sarcastically.

Draco beamed at her, gesturing for her to enter the shop first. Hermione just shook her head from side-to-side, unable to hide the smile on her face. He entered right behind her, chuckling at her faux exasperation. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what he was going to get for his mother so it was difficult to give Hermione advice. They meandered through Flourish and Blott's, browsing through the books in the hopes that something would stand out to them. They had no such luck so after reluctantly admitting defeat, they continued to browse through Diagon Alley. Hermione was overly-aware of the time that passed, bordering on paranoia because she didn't want Narcissa to notice her absence. Draco continued to assure her that they would be fine but Hermione had a hard time matching his confidence.

"Look at this," he said, pulling her attention away from the time. Again.

Hermione observed the windows of the small store with interest. She couldn't make out what was inside and she couldn't remember ever coming across it before, but her interest was piqued. "Let's go in."

She pushed open the door, looking up as a little bell rang above her head. Draco poked her back and she continued moving forward, the bell ringing again as the door closed behind him. They both looked around, taking in the eclectic collection of items. Despite their expectations, the shop was well-kept and the items all looked brand new. Exchanging a glance, they both set off in opposite directions, browsing through the odds and ends slowly.

When a voice suddenly said, "Welcome to my shop," Hermione barely refrained from drawing her wand as she spun toward the source.

"What is this place, exactly?" Draco asked, sending Hermione a reassuring look.

"This is my shop," an old man, the source of the voice, repeated.

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione interrupted with, "I've never seen this place before."

The man smiled, several of his teeth missing. "My shop can only be found by those that are meant to find it. There is something in here that is meant for each of you to find."

"What does that mean?" Draco asked. Hermione just continued browsing, recognizing that was the extent of the shopkeeper's help. He kind of reminded her of Dumbledore with his cryptic ways.

"You will know. When you are ready, I will be waiting." With that, he disappeared, and Draco stood with his mouth open for several moments before he was able to shake himself out of his stupor.

A small, leatherbound book caught Hermione's eye and without hesitating, she grabbed it, stroking the soft material. The cover was a plain, faded brown with no indication of its contents. The spine was just as unhelpful, but Hermione tucked it under her arm anyway. She continued to make her way around the store, squeezing past Draco who was fixated on a nice looking pair of boots. Just as she thought she was finished looking, Hermione saw a bronze-colored necklace with a small, circular disk. It almost looked like a flattened coin but was clearly made of something else. She studied it without picking it up, wondering if she should.

"Ah, yes, a curious piece, isn't it?" the shopkeeper asked, peering over her shoulder.

Hermione forced herself not to jump at the sudden presence. "Am I meant to take it?"

"It would not have caught your attention otherwise. The items in my shop are very peculiar that way." He waited until Hermione picked up the necklace, watching the pendant spin. "This one in particular is very strange. It has been here for quite a long time. Many witches and wizards have walked right past it, never taking notice of it. This necklace was forged to be part of a pair, but I have never encountered the other. It is believed to have protective properties, but I can't prove that."

She looked at it closely, watching the light glint off it as it slowly stopped spinning. "I'm ready."

He smiled at her, once again revealing several missing teeth. "I thought you were. Come along."

Hermione followed him to a counter that she could swear hadn't been there before. Internally shrugging, she set the book and necklace on the counter, shortly joined by Draco who placed the shoes next to the book. The shopkeeper observed the items, nodding and mumbling to himself for a few minutes while Hermione and Draco shared a few unsure looks.

"Well, it looks like you two are all set," he finally said, clasping his hands together.

"Erm. How much?" Draco asked, looking from the items on the counter up at the smiling shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper chuckled, shaking his head back and forth. "No, no, no. The items in my shop are not purchased like in other shops. All of my items choose someone to own them. I am merely a facilitator for this to happen, I could not possibly charge anyone for an item that is meant for them to leave with."

Hermione and Draco shared a bewildered, confused look.

"Well, thank you, then," Hermione managed, grabbing the book and necklace while Draco grabbed the shoes.

"It is my pleasure," he said, waving them goodbye.

As the door closed behind them, neither of them could resist the urge to turn and look, only to be met with a bare wall. They exchanged another confused look, both of them opening and closing their mouths several times.

"We aren't mad, are we?" Draco asked uncertainly.

"That was... strange. But we still have the items." Hermione glanced pointedly at the pair of shoes in Draco's hands.

"I think I want to go back home," he said.

Hermione nodded in agreement, offering her arm to him. "Are those for Narcissa?"

Draco nodded as he gripped her arm a little tighter than usual. She Apparated them back to Malfoy Manor, the pair of them appearing outside her door. They glanced both ways down the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief when neither Narcissa nor Andromeda came rushing into view.

"They're probably in the garden," Draco said, "Are either of those for mum?"

Hermione contemplated the book and the necklace, weighing them in her mind. "The book. I'm not sure what it's about, but I wouldn't have found it if I wasn't meant to."

"And the necklace?"

Hermione shrugged as she pushed open the door. "I'm sure I'll figure it out."

He nodded, making his way back to his room and hoping he wouldn't run into Andromeda or his mum on the way. Hermione placed the book on her desk, fiddling with the chain and debating going over to Bellatrix's room. She changed into something more comfortable, tucking the chain into her pocket and wearily pushing her hair out of her face. Her energy still depleted so quickly when she wasn't near Bellatrix, and even though she was able to be away for longer each day, it wasn't more than a few hours. Hermione trudged across the hall, pushing the door open and smiling when she saw the dark witch awake and looking at the ceiling.

"See anything interesting?" she asked, hoping the humor would be appreciated.

Bellatrix didn't laugh but a grin did spread across her face. "Nothing I haven't seen before. What are you up to?"

"Draco and I just got back from Diagon Alley. It was...interesting." Hermione sat on the bed, pulling her knees to her chest and leaning back against the headboard.

"Interesting how?" Bellatrix tilted her head slightly so she could see Hermione better.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling to find the words she wanted to use, "There was this shop that we had never seen before and when we left, it was just gone."

Bellatrimed hummed in thought, mumbling, "I don't think I've ever come across anything like that."

"Well, in that case, want me to show you something interesting?"

Hermione smiled when Bellatrix nodded her head. She wasn't able to move more than her head yet, but Narcissa worked with her every day to get there, sometimes with Andromeda's help. Pulling the necklace from her pocket, she held it still while the other witch studied it with keen eyes. Bellatrix hummed again, narrowing her eyes at the plain-looking necklace.

"The shopkeeper said it's part of a pair but didn't know anything about the other and that this one might have protective properties."

"If it does, you should wear it. Make it harder for the people trying to kill you," Bellatrix joked.

She raised a brow at Hermione who was looking down at her with an awed smile. "I think that's the first joke I've ever heard you make."

"Don't get used to it," she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything else, opting to slip the necklace on over her head. She held the pendant between her thumb and index finger, inspecting it for anything she hadn't noticed before but it was just a plain, flat disc.

"You should tuck it under your shirt," Bellatrix suggested.

Hermione nodded, tucking it into her shirt after looking at it for a few moments. She leaned her head back against the headboard, sighing restlessly. "I don't know how you haven't died of boredom."

If Bellatrix could've, she would've shrugged. "I have a lot to think about. And good company."

She watched Hermione stare blankly at the ceiling, wishing she could reach out to her. As hard as she tried, she couldn't even get her fingers to twitch in response. She knew it would take time but she wanted to be able to move, to do something other than lie in bed. She wanted to help.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, looking up at Hermione.

Hermione shifted her gaze to her, pulling her legs tighter to her chest. "How did you do it for so long?"

"Do what?"

"How did you fight for so long?" She let go of her legs, sliding them down the bed.

Bellatrix looked up at her, her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm...I don't know. I had to. For my family. Everything I did. The people I hurt, the lives I ended, it was all to keep my family alive. I didn't know I was on the wrong side until it was too late for me, but I could still keep them safe from harm."

The brunette nodded, her eyes glazed over as if she were lost in thought.

"Why do you fight, Hermione?" Bellatrix asked softly.

"When I was thrust into the war, I didn't realize how complicated the world actually was. It was as easy as us being the good guys and you being the bad guys. Then I realized it was more complicated than that and I was fighting to make things better than they were. And we won but things aren't better in the way I thought they were. What was it all for?" Hermione fiddled with her hands while she spoke, furrowing her brow.

"Are you going to stop fighting?"

"I'm tired. Of everything. I spent 7 years fighting an impossible battle and we won despite the odds and I feel like I haven't stopped fighting."

Bellatrix turned her head back to the ceiling. "So was that a yes or no?"

Hermione sighed, leaning her head in her hands and mumbling, "I don't know anymore."

"May I put things into perspective?" When Hermione nodded, she continued. "Let's say you stop fighting. If you do that, the people you care about will get hurt protecting you. Are you willing to stand by and let them get hurt for you just to let them kill you in the end?"

She picked her head up, shaking her head with a set jaw. "No. No, I'm not."

"There she is," Bellatrix smiled, "I'll help you as much as I can."

"Thank you," she mumbled.

Bellatrix nodded, the pair of witches descending into a comfortable silence. They stayed that way until Narcissa poked her head into the room, breathing a sigh of relief at finding Hermione.

"There you are," she breathed.

"Here I am," Hermione muttered.

Narcissa gave her a stern look that softened when she saw the expression on her face. "Teddy would like to see you."

"I'll come down," she said, pushing herself up from the bed. She cast a look a Bellatrix to find her sleeping, or at least pretending to.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Narcissa asked, looping her arm through the younger witch's.

She frowned, staring hard at the floor as they walked. "I have...a lot on my mind."

"I understand. I know it's difficult for you to be stuck at home, but I have to admit I've loved having you and Draco home all day. And it's nice to know Bella has someone to keep her company and engage her in conversation. Perhaps it's a bit selfish, but I can't find it in myself to be sorry about it." Narcissa insisted on supporting Hermione's weight as they descended the stairs. "You truly are a blessing, Hermione. You've brought both my sisters back to me without even meaning to. I don't think I'll ever be able to express the extent of my gratitude."

Hermione turned her head to the blonde witch. "It is difficult, but at least I have company. I know I can be difficult but it isn't because I don't appreciate everything you do for me. It's so easy spending time with you and Draco and Bellatrix that I feel like I should've experienced it from the beginning. It feels like I have been. I want to protect you. All of you. I need to."

Narcissa pulled them to a stop outside the parlor Andromeda and Teddy were waiting in, placing her hand on Hermione's cheek. "You must allow us to protect you. You can't do it all on your own."

A slight stupor fell over Hermione after Narcissa's words and she was only brought back to the real world when Teddy excitedly yelled, "Hermione!"

She laughed and took a step back as he threw herself at her, his small arms wrapping around her legs. "Hi, Teddy. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too! Can we play cops and robbers?" He looked up at her expectantly, bouncing up and down with enthusiasm.

"Of course we can," she answered, kneeling down in front of him.

He giggled, throwing his arms around her shoulders. "I wanna be the robber! You can be the cop. Come find me!"

He took off down the corridor before Hermione could respond, his giggles trailing after him. She braced herself on her knee, pushing herself into a standing position. Teddy's giggles still echoed through the manor, drawing a smile to Hermione's face.

Turning to meet Andromeda and Narcissas's gazes, she lightheartedly said, "You'd think I'd get tired of always being the cop."

They both chuckled, the middle Black sister moving toward her to gently hug her. "How have you been doing?"

She shrugged half-heartedly. "Physically, I'm getting better. It's just tough to be so limited with what I can do. I still can't go more than a couple hours without needing to rest and it's starting to get to me."

Andromeda placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly at the brunette. "You need as much rest as you can get, your body has a lot to recover from. I know you throw yourself into work instead of dealing with things but you can't do that forever. Things will always catch up with you."

Hermione nodded, her eyes on the floor. "I should try to go find him now."

Andromeda and Narcissa watched her go with varying levels of concern in their eyes. Hermione sighed as she wandered through the corridors, roughly in the direction Teddy had gone. He wouldn't be difficult to find as she got closer because his laughter was always uncontrollable and gave him away. Even though the manor was huge, she didn't think he would go up the stairs or outside, so it was just a matter of walking around enough.

She reached the end of the corridor and was about to continue to the left when she heard stifled giggles from her right. It almost sounded like more laughter than Teddy could produce but she brushed it off as a strange echo until she heard Draco whisper something she couldn't make out followed by two sets of footsteps. Shaking her head with a smile, she set off after them, quietly tailing them through the corridors. The two sets of footsteps abruptly stopped when they entered the foyer, and it didn't take her long to figure out why.

"Ginny," she greeted with a grin, "You cut off my two suspects."

She looked between Draco and Teddy with a raised brow. "Oh? What are they suspects for, boss?"

"This one," she pointed to Teddy, "Assaulted me with a hug. This one," she pointed to Draco, "Was aiding and abetting our little criminal."

"That's no good," Ginny chided, shaking her head, "I guess I'll have to break out the shackles."

Draco struggled to hide his smile, finally getting used to Hermione and Ginny's banter, while Teddy paled and threw his arms around Ginny's legs. "Please don't put me in shackles!"

She crouched down, allowing him to throw his arms around her shoulders. "We would never. So long as you behave."

He nodded fiercely and the three adults laughed when he moved behind Ginny as Hermione approached.

"I promise you're not in trouble Teddy. I was just playing, but I'll make it more obvious next time, okay?" She smiled when he nodded, opening her arms for a hug. "Do you forgive me?"

Teddy hesitated behind Ginny's legs before rushing forward, giggling as Hermione picked him up and spun him in a circle. Ginny steadied her when she almost stumbled, giving her a stern look.

"Auntie 'Mione, are you okay?" he asked as she set him down.

She nodded. "I'm okay, Teddy, I just lost my balance. Ginny and I need to talk for a bit, but I'm sure Draco will play with you."

"Be careful," he said, hugging her legs before grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him. Draco smiled, allowing himself to be dragged but redirecting the young wizard's attention to more suitable things.

"Are you really okay, Hermione?" Ginny asked once they were out of earshot, her hands still on her shoulders.

The brunette sighed. "I'm getting rather tired of that question. I'm getting there, Gin."

"We just worry about you. You push yourself so hard," Ginny whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair behind Hermione's ear.

"I know, but I'm not going to break from a little exertion. I'm not fragile."

"No one is saying you are. We just want you to take care of yourself the way you take care of us. At the very least, let yourself be taken care of instead of doing it all yourself. I know you've heard this all before, so why don't we drop it and talk about something else?" Ginny's fingers brushed Hermione's cheeks as she pulled away.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Is the library okay?"

At Ginny's nod, they began making their way to the library, silence comfortably draped between them as the walked. The library was- blessedly- empty for the moment. It was difficult to keep work as confidential as it should be while Hermione was recovering but they weren't worried about anyone using the information, just that they may overhear something that would make them more worried.

"Have you been able to get any more information out of Rookwood?" Hermione asked as they sat down in chairs facing each other.

"No, he's refusing to answer anything. The other Death Eaters haven't been helpful either." Ginny draped her arms across the back of her chair, resting her right ankle on her left knee. "Even Luna can't get anything useful out of them. And we still have no idea who the others are. We've reached a dead end."

Hermione scowled at the table between them, staring hard at the glass and Ginny almost wondered how it didn't shatter under the weight of her stare. "Wand records?"

Ginny shook her head.

"School records?"

She shook her head again.

Hermione sighed, slouching in her chair and drumming her fingers on the arms of it as she thought. "Legilimancy?"

Ginny's eyes widened at the suggestion. "You aren't seriously considering that?"

"It's either that or Veritaserum, which doesn't necessarily compel them to answer. I don't like having to resort to such tactics but it seems like we have to," Hermione continued staring hard at the table as she spoke, a frown tugging the corners of her mouth downward.

"Right," Ginny muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Keep trying without it for now, I have a particular person in mind and I want to be there when it happens." Hermione stopped drumming her fingers, fixing her intense gaze on Ginny. "What else has been going on?"

"The usual, mostly. It might cheer you up that Cormac's trial finished up this morning. I don't know why it took them so long considering all the evidence against him. He wasn't sentenced to Azkaban but he _was_ fired and banned from working for the Ministry in any capacity, even as a contractor. He did testify against other Aurors we had temporarily suspended while we reviewed their actions." She was used to Hermione's heavy gazes and felt calmer when it was fixed on her than something else.

Hermione nodded, relaxing a little bit. "How's the press?"

Ginny chewed on her lip, grimacing as she said, "They really want answers. We're trying to keep them at bay, but it gets harder every day, especially with Rita Skeeter at the head of it."

Humming in consideration, Hermione began drumming her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Is she still unregistered as an Animagus?"

"I'll check tomorrow," Ginny said, "What do you have in mind?"

"Leave that to me," Hermione muttered, "I'll deal with her."

Ginny have her a thumbs up, shifting to throw her legs over the left arm of her chair. "When do you think you'll be back?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head back and forth. "I have no idea. I still have to rest after a few hours of just being up. If I take it easy at work, maybe the end of the week or the beginning of next."

Fixing Hermione with a look, she said, "You? Take it easy at work?"

The tone of Ginny's voice had Hermione descending into laughter, soon followed by the redhead. "I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous. But I do want to come back, and if that's what it takes, I'll do it."

"Well, I'll be sure to keep you from overexerting yourself."

"Thanks, Ginny. How's your family?"

Ginny groaned, throwing her head back in annoyance. "Mum is upset that I'm considering moving out and that I want to take the offer from Narcissa. It's a really nice cottage, I can't wait for you to see it. It'll need a bit of work but it'll be nice to have something to make my own."

"I can't wait to see it, Gin." Hermione offered her a soft smile. "Harry came to see me this morning."

"How'd that go?" she asked with an eye roll.

Hermione laughed before answering, "Surprisingly well, actually. I was happy to have the company for a little bit."

"If only the rest of them would get their heads out of their arse," Ginny grumbled.

"Don't let it get to you. If they don't come around, that's on them."

"You're right," Ginny sighed, letting her head fall back, "It's just so hard to break mum's heart like that."

Hermione nodded sympathetically, suppressing a yawn as she leaned her head back.

"Do you want me to take you upstairs?" Ginny asked, almost forgoing the question to avoid irritating Hermione.

She shook her head from side to side in response, inhaling slowly. "No, but I should let Andromeda check to make sure I'm doing fine."

"I'll go get her." Ginny was about to push herself up when Hermione shook her head again.

"Don't. She'll find us. Just keep me company."

Ginny nodded even though Hermione couldn't see it. She did push herself up but occupied herself with choosing a book from the shelves. She was still browsing the shelves when Narcissa poked her head into the room. The blonde witch smiled at her in greeting as she pushed open the door to reveal Andromeda behind her. She offered them a wave and turned her attention back to the shelves. Narcissa laid a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

"You shouldn't do that, Cissa," Hermione muttered, forcing herself to relax.

"I know you'd never hurt me," she said softly, "Can Andy check on you?"

At Hermione's nod, Narcissa moved away to make room for her sister, choosing to browse the shelves in silence with Ginny. Andromeda crouched in front of Hermione, observing her relaxed posture. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Hermione naturally relaxed, if she had ever seen it. It was certainly much easier to see how she was recovering when she was relaxed, and it only took her a few minutes.

"You're getting much better. A few more days and I think you'll be back to full strength," Andromeda informed.

Hermione heaved a sigh, sinking into her chair. "Thanks, Andy."

"Perhaps this is a lesson to be more careful in the future," Narcissa said gently.

"I will always do what I need to," Hermione answered, fixing Narcissa with her gaze.

Narcissa, to everyone's surprise, looked away first. Andromeda placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder, hoping to relieve some of the tension in the room. Thankfully, Teddy and Draco chose that moment to burst into the room, the former squealing in laughter as he ran from Draco with his arms outstretched. He looked back at Draco, running into Ginny's legs and falling down. He giggled up at her as she crouched to pick him up.

"We're playing cops and robbers," he beamed, gripping Ginny's arms as she lifted him to his feet.

"Draco makes a good cop then," Ginny teased, lifting him into her arms when he tightened his grip.

"He didn't catch me," Teddy pointed out.

Ginny hummed in faux consideration. "But he chased you straight to me."

Teddy squealed as Ginny squeezed his sides, squirming in her arms to be put down. She complied, all of them looking on in amusement as he ran to Hermione and climbed up into her lap. He wrapped his arms around her neck, turning to stick his tongue out at Ginny and Draco.

"Yeah, big bad Auntie 'Mione will protect you," Draco teased.

"She will!" he insisted.

"Until my dying breath," she assured. It was clear to everyone in the room that she meant it for all of them, and brought them to varying states of worry for the brunette witch that was too stubborn for her own good.


	7. Hermione's Return

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to be updating again. I wrote almost this entire chapter in one sitting, and with any luck, I will have plenty of time to write over the weekend and during Thanksgiving so I can update again. I hope you're all staying safe and doing well. I know things are tough right now, but hang in there. As always, reviews are appreciated but never necessary, and if you really want to know when I update, just follow or favorite and you'll never have to wonder if I've been taken hostage by my muse yet.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

_Whiteout, whiteout have I had enough_

_Fade in fade out and I think I am done_

_Right up till now, I have felt so numb_

_You know I hate, I hate that I could break, but I cannot_

_And I'm afraid, afraid to be alone with my own thoughts_

_'Cause I'm ashamed, ashamed to have to face what I have done_

_-Whiteout, _Koethe

* * *

Hermione greedily took in the garden, tilting her head up to the dun and spreading her arms. She would be returning to work tomorrow and she couldn't be more ready. She couldn't recall ever having so long off from work, which probably wasn't the healthiest thing but she didn't really care. A shady spot beckoned her and she couldn't resist the temptation of lounging there, arriving before she realized she had even started walking. She plopped down, letting herself fall all the way back so she was laying like a starfish. The grass was so incredibly soft underneath her and the dirt was the perfect firmness. She only wished Bellatrix could enjoy it, too, without having to be carried in and out.

A gentle breeze blew along the grass and Hermione let out a relaxed sigh, feeling the tightening in her shoulders diminish. It was a perfect day, not too cold or hot, and just the right amount of sunny. Narcissa had tried to insist she stay inside, but the expression in Hermione's eyes was one she was all too familiar with, so she had relented as long as she promised to stay close to the house. Excited to finally have some independence, Hermione had agreed, but Narcissa had never specified how far was still considered close. Hermione picked her head up, still able to see the manor, which was good enough for her.

For several minutes, she just enjoyed the feeling of the earth beneath her, sprawling on her back as much as she could. Narcissa would surely disapprove, but it would be easy to clean herself up with a wave of her wand. Even after she got up, Hermione spent the entire day wandering through the garden, never straying far enough that it was out of sight. As the sun arced through the sky, Hermione made sure to get closer to the Manor, wanting to be within Narcissa's definition of close when she was summoned for dinner. She felt better than she had in a long time, as if the stress from being considered a war hero had melted away. It wouldn't last long, Hermione knew. As soon as she was back at work, it would settle on her shoulders again.

"Hermione," Narcissa called, scanning the garden for the stubborn witch she had come to care for as if she were her own daughter.

"I'm here," she answered, appearing from around the corner.

A relieved smile appeared on Narcissa's face and she ushered her inside. Hermione hid her smile by looking down as she passed Narcissa. She knew by now that being stern was how she showed affection. It was just the three of them for dinner that night, something that hadn't happened since before Hermione had to stay home. Andromeda or Ginny usually joined them, sometimes both, but Ginny was eating with her family to appease her mom, and Andromeda had joined them so they could see Teddy. They were actually glad for the lack of company, it gave them time to reconnect as a family. Hermione's thoughts couldn't stop wandering to Bellatrix by herself upstairs, going so far as entertaining the idea of suggesting they eat there but she wasn't sure if it would disturb her. Bellatrix still received all her nutrients from potions and slept most of the time. Being awake was exhausting for her and she was only able to do it for an hour at a time at most.

"Narcissa," Hermione began once dessert was in front of her, "Would you mind coming to the ministry with us in the morning?"

The blonde witch was thrown enough that she set her fork down in surprise. "I don't mind, but what for? Andy would be much more suited to monitor you."

"Oh, no, it's not for me," she quickly said, "There's something I need your help with regarding the investigation and I have no idea how deep the Arthurian Order runs, so I'm not sure I can trust anyone else to do it."

"I don't see why not, but I can't stay all day, I do have to be here to administer Bellatrix's potions." She picked up her fork again, returning to her dessert.

Hermione nodded. "That's perfectly fine, it shouldn't take more than a few hours."

Draco watched the exchange curiously, wanting to ask what his mother would be helping with but he knew Hermione wouldn't be able to tell him. He wished there was something he could do to help Hermione, but he wasn't even allowed to know what exactly was going on. The most he could do was stay out of the way and let everyone do their jobs. Maybe someday he would be trusted enough to become a field agent, although he was sure his mother's help would be kept under wraps because she wasn't permitted a wand either.

Noticing the expression on his face, Hermione said, "I'm sure there's plenty of cases you could help with, Draco. I'm a little out of the loop with what everyone is working on, but if you want, you can ask Ginny in the morning."

"That would be nice," he said, brightening at the suggestion, "I enjoy helping with the magical creatures cases. Actually, Hermione, I was wondering if I might be able to work in your department?"

She tapped her fork against her pursed lips, losing herself in thought. "I'd have to ask Kingsley, and I'm sure he'll say I need approval. You'll pretty much be an intern if you are, but I could see the suggestion working. I'll bring it up to him when I meet with him in the afternoon."

The rest of the evening was spent discussing lighter topics or just sitting in silence with each other as company until they decided to turn in for the night. Hermione felt good even as she ascended the stairs, glad to have her strength back. She still found herself pushing open Bellatrix's door instead of her own without thinking, but she had gotten so used to sleeping next to the dark witch that it was weird to even think about sleeping alone. Bellatrix never seemed to mind the company. Hermione tried not to disturb her as she got comfortable, but Bellatrix stirred anyway.

"I missed you today," she mumbled sleepily, turning her head to Hermione.

"Y-You did?" Hermione stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush.

Bellatrix managed a nod. "Mhm. I enjoy your company."

"I'm sure anyone's company beats being alone all the time," Hermione responded, trying not to read too much into Bellatrix's statement.

"That's not how I meant it," she said, "Your presence is a breath of fresh air and I've been suffocating for the last...I don't even know how long."

Her cheeks burned as she opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of how to respond. "I-I like your company, too. I wish I could help you more."

"You've helped in more ways than I deserve," Bellatrix said softly, a faint smile on her face."

"I disagree," Hermione said, pushing herself up, "You risked everything to help us. And you paid the price. No matter what you've done in the past, you've been punished for it. We _never _would have found the Horcruxes without your help and if he ever found out, he would've punished you. No matter what, you were always going to lose. You deserve a life."

Bellatrix wished she could reach out to soothe her. "I made my choices, Hermione. Now, I have to live with the consequences."

"That's my entire point!" Hermione threw her hands into the air in exasperation, "You already have. I _know _you suffered as a Death Eater, as a prisoner. I know that everything was taken from you the moment you were born because you had a duty to your family and its outdated customs."

"If it keeps my sisters safe, I'd make the same choices over again," she said, turning her head to the ceiling.

"What about _you_? What about your safety?" she placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm, ignoring the tingle that ran down her spine as her voice softened, "Do you remember what you told me the other day? About how I should let my friends protect me so I can protect them? The same applies to you. Don't get me wrong, I understand why you did it. I would give up everything to protect the people I care about, but it doesn't mean I have to. There are other ways. I know you know that."

Bellatrix clenched and unclenched her jaw multiple times as she stared at the ceiling out of stubborn pride. She was acutely aware of Hermione's hand on her arm, sending tingles up her arm and down her spine. In all her time trying, she had never been able to feel anything, she only knew they were there because she could see them. Really, her brain had filled in the gaps of what she _should_ be experiencing, but this...this was so much different. It was so much stronger. Afraid she had crossed a line, Hermione pulled her arm away, fixing her gaze at the end of the bed.

"Please don't pull away," Bellatrix rasped, willing herself not to tear up, "I haven't felt anything in so long."

Hermione turned to look at her in surprise, realizing she had misinterpreted Bellatrix's silence. It had been an awed silence, not an angry one. "What about Narcissa? Or Andy?"

Bellatrix shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "Nothing."

"But...why me?" she asked, repositioning so she was on her side facing the former Death Eater. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out for Bellatrix's playing with her slender fingers absently.

"I don't know," Bellatrix managed with a shake of her head, "I was starting to think I wouldn't feel anything again."

"Do they know?" Hermione asked softly, feeling brave enough to move closer and lean her head against Bellatrix's shoulder. When had she gotten so comfortable with the idea of being affectionate with Bellatrix?

She shook her head again, unable to stop the tears from leaking from her eyes and her voice from cracking as she answered, "I can't."

Uncertainly, Hermione reached up to wipe Bellatrix's tears away, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in her throat. Her heart flipped in her chest when Bellatrix leaned into her hand with a soft sigh. Her brain was unable to form coherent thoughts to respond, too preoccupied with how marvelous it felt when Bellatrix pressed her face into her hand. The former Death Eater's eyelids fluttered, and Hermione almost forgot how to breathe. She was so _gentle_.

"I don't want to break their hearts more than I already have," Bellatrix continued, still leaning her face into the warmth of Hermione's hand, "They remain stubbornly optimistic that my current state isn't permanent, but I don't share that optimism."

"Why not?" Hermione breathed, almost afraid that Bellatrix would pull away.

Instead, she shrugged. Her eyes shot open and she blinked several times, wondering if she had imagined it. Until she did it again, just to be sure.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming right now," Bellatrix said, squeezing her eyes shut in dread.

"I am very much real, thank you," Hermione assured, unable to fight the small smile on her face, "Maybe a little optimism wouldn't hurt."

"Maybe you're right," she mused aloud, noticing Hermione's stifled yawn, "You should get some sleep."

The brunette nodded, nuzzling her face into Bellatrix's shoulder without realizing. Her hand was still cupping Bellatrix's cheek as she fell asleep. Bellatrix fought to stay awake for as long as she possibly could, knowing that when she next woke up, Hermione would be gone and she would no longer feel anything. She wanted to make the most of it, just in case it was a fluke and her mind was playing tricks on her.

When Hermione woke up, her face was pressed into Bellatrix's neck and her hand was resting on her left shoulder. Her heart raced and her cheeks flushed as she became aware of her position, willing herself to pull away slowly so she didn't wake the sleeping witch. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding once she was dressed and in the corridor, running a hand through her hair in her distress. Cuddling? With Bellatrix? She supposed it felt wonderful to be close to someone like that but she had never expected it to be with Bellatrix. Not that she minded.

Hermione froze in the hall at the realization. Shouldn't she mind? She didn't have an issue with the fact that it had been a witch, she had realized shortly after dating Ron that she preferred the company of witches. It wasn't that Bellatrix had been a Death Eater, either, she had shown remorse for all that she had done and paid the price, plus, Hermione didn't think she was ever really evil. But Bellatrix was older than her parents. Although, witches and wizards lived longer than Muggles, so comparatively, she was probably only about a decade older. That wasn't so bad. Hermione shook her head in frustration. Why did it matter?

"Hermione?" Narcissa asked, eyeing her with concern, "Are you all right? Should you rest more before going to work?"

"I'm fine," Hermione quickly said, "Just...got a little lost in thought."

If Narcissa's raised brow was anything to go off of, the blonde witch didn't quite buy the explanation, but she didn't press the issue. "If you say so. Are you going to actually come to breakfast, then?"

"Yes." Hermione shook herself out of her stupor, forcing her legs to carry her to the Dining Room with Narcissa.

Hermione's plan was to throw herself into work- like she always did- to distract herself from thinking about the implications of her reaction to waking up cuddling Bellatrix. It had never failed her before so she had no reason to think it would when she needed it most. Draco was already waiting in the Dining Room when they got there, leaning his head against his head and absorbed in his book. Luna had been sending them to him through Ginny, and he had ignored her playful insinuations but didn't deny anything. He waved to his mum and Hermione, closing the book and sliding it into his satchel.

"Morning, Draco," Hermione greeted as she took her seat.

"You seem too excited to be going back to work," he commented, "Are you actually a human or just pretending?"

She prodded her sides experimentally. "I'm human."

"Could've fooled me," he muttered playfully.

She rolled her eyes, focusing on her breakfast so she could go to work. She _was _excited to go back. Work kept her from becoming bored and she was so used to always having something to do that her forced time off would be enough for the next few years. She didn't have to ruminate on things that were in the past if she didn't slow down. She knew Andromeda was right and it was only a matter of time before things caught up to her, but she was content to ignore it for the time being.

Narcissa and Draco dutifully followed her through the floo to the ministry and up to her department. They garnered several looks- mostly Hermione- that they ignored. Their floor was busy with field agents working extra diligently, fully aware that Hermione would be returning and would be a little more short-tempered than she normally was. They couldn't ever recall her taking more than an extended weekend off, and even when she returned from those, she was snippy. They couldn't begin to imagine the mood she would be in after a month off. They didn't want to find out.

"I know that look," Ginny teased once they had reached Hermione's office.

Hermione rolled her eyes, pushing open the door with a little more force than necessary. "Later."

"I'll hold you to it," Ginny promised, letting the subject drop, "Should I send for Luna and Neville?"

"I'll take care of it, but Draco would like something to do." Hermione tossed her jacket onto her chair, rolling up her sleeves.

"Come along then, Draco. There are a few things you could do." Ginny beckoned him to follow her, leaving Hermione and Narcissa.

Hermione easily summoned her Patronus, sending it to Neville and Luna. She drummed her fingers on the back of her chair as she stood over her desk. Ginny had organized everything exactly how she liked it, making it easy to get through a month's worth of work before lunch. From what she could see so far, everything had been pretty standard. Most of their efforts had focused on investigating the Auror department and the attack, the latter which had little progress. She already knew the results of the former, thanks to Ginny.

"Hello, Hermione. The color around you stunning," Luna greeted, drifting into the office with a dreamy smile on her face.

"Thanks, Luna," Hermione said, ignoring the...well, she supposed it was a compliment of sorts, "It's good to see you, too."

"Madame Malfoy," Luna nodded at Narcissa, taking the woman by surprise.

Narcissa quickly composed herself, returning the nod and replying, "Miss Lovegood."

"Nice to have you back, Hermione," Neville said, only a few steps behind Luna.

"It's good to be back," Hermione waited until he closed the door to continue, "I know you two haven't had much luck with questioning, so I've asked Narcissa to help. You know how much I hate to use invasive tactics, but I see no other option to obtain leads, so it's absolutely necessary. Narcissa is a skilled Legilimens, so Luna, while you ask questions she will scan their thoughts to see if she can find anything. Narcissa, it's important that you make your presence in their mind as intangible as possible so they don't put up any mental shields. Only do this with the ones who are not Death Eaters because they will recognize her."

"You got it," Neville and Luna chorused.

Narcissa, however, had a concern. "I have no wand, Hermione, I can't possibly get into a stranger's mind without one."

"That's easy," Hermione said, holding out her wand to the blonde witch, "I am fully aware that you are not allowed to have a wand, which is why no one will mention this outside of my office. If anyone happens to find out, I will take care of it."

Narcissa hesitantly reached for the vinewood wand. It had been a long time since she had even held one, she was almost afraid someone would pop out from behind an object and arrest her on the spot. Hermione would never do that to her, though, and she knew the brunette would fight tooth and nail to protect her if she was caught, potentially at the expense of her career. Narcissa stowed it up her sleeve, determined not to let anyone find out.

"If you don't finish before lunch, that's fine. Stop for the day and if you have to go back to it tomorrow, I'm okay with that," Hermione said, finally sitting in her chair.

Luna and Neville nodded, beckoning for Narcissa to follow them so Hermione could get to work. Hermione rolled her neck at her impending morning of going through paperwork. It was not the return she had in mind, but work was better than no work, even if it was her least favorite. She idly wondered if the training field was open after lunch as she went through the reports on her desk, deciding that her agents could use some fun after working so hard while she was gone. She lifted the stack of paper covering the training schedule for the day, pleased to see that it was available for the two hours before they were done. Hermione grabbed a quill, blocking out the time on the schedule and labeling it "Voluntary Tournament- DMLE Only."

The cheers she could hear through the door as the training appeared on their schedule brought a smile to her face. There was nothing like a friendly competition to raise morale, and it had the added benefit of making sure everyone's skills were up to par. Normally, she only scheduled tournaments as a special occasion, but she felt that her department deserved to know how much she appreciated their work while she was gone. It also gave her something to look forward to after all of her paperwork.

"Tell me you're not joking," Ginny pleaded, bursting into her office and pointing at the large schedule showing the tournament.

"Why would I be joking, Gin?" Hermione asked without looking up from the report she was reading.

Ginny sat on the single empty corner of Hermione's desk, leaving the door open. "Because you're always mean when you come back from more than three days off."

Hermione laughed at the brutal honesty, setting the report down. "I assure you, I'm not joking. There is a tournament this afternoon."

A few agents caught the exchange from outside her door, quickly passing on what they had heard.

"Does this have anything to do with," Ginny gestured vaguely, but Hermione still understood what she was referring to.

Hermione buried her face in the report she had been reading, mumbling, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"It does!" Ginny gasped, flicking her wand so the door would close, "It's later, I want to know."

Hermione groaned, leaning back in her chair and tossing the report on her desk. "Fine. Bellatrix and I were talking last night and it went...really well."

A grin spread across Ginny's face, her mouth falling open. "I bet it did."

"Ginny," Hermione chided playfully, swatting her shoulder.

"Come on, Hermione, details. I can see on your face how confused you are about liking her, what's the deal?" Ginny leaned closer, careful not to make a mess of Hermione's paperwork.

"I don't know," she said lamely, shrugging her shoulders.

"The deal," Ginny said, reaching out and holding Hermione's chair still, "Is that you are a workaholic and don't properly process your feelings. Are you really going to keep denying yourself happiness?"

"I am happy," Hermione protested, scowling at Ginny's grip on her chair that kept her from twisting side-to-side.

Ginny looked at her, clearly not buying it. "Hermione, I've known you, like, forever. You aren't happy with this life, not as happy as you could be. For what it's worth, I think Bellatrix would be a good fit for you."

"I don't even know if she likes me back, Ginny," she sighed, sinking into her chair, "Besides, I don't know if I'm cut out for relationships."

Ginny hopped off the desk, moving behind Hermione's chair and draping her arms around the brunette. "Just because none of them have worked doesn't mean you aren't cut out for relationships. What's the harm in trying? You deserve to be happy, 'Mione."

"When did you get so rational?" Hermione grumbled, leaning her head against Ginny's.

"When I started being friends with a certain brown-haired know-it-all," Ginny teased, "Especially while we were together."

"Must've been one hell of a witch to get through to you," Hermione joked, earning a light smack.

"She certainly has one hell of an ego sometimes," she responded with a laugh.

Hermione laughed, too, quickly sobering to say, "Thanks, Gin."

"Anytime," Ginny responded, "So, I'll see you at the tournament? For real?"

"Yes," Hermione laughed, "For real."

Ginny smiled as she left Hermione's office, leaving Hermione in a much better mood. She returned to her paperwork in high spirits, making short work of the rest. Yes, she was unsure about Bellatrix, especially since it had just developed. Thinking back, Hermione realized it had actually been in the works since the first night she had stood outside Bellatrix's door. The bond had pulled her there, sure, but she hadn't been able to place the feeling that came with thinking about the former Death Eater. Maybe she really did need to start processing things instead of throwing herself into work. Draco had joined her in her office just as she had finished, taking his usual chair.

"Hermione," Narcissa said as she entered her office to bid her farewell, "What's this about a tournament?"

Draco sent her a look that told her she would be in trouble if she didn't answer carefully. "It is a friendly competition for the employees in my department to keep their skills sharp and give them something to look forward to. And before you say anything about me participating, I am not allowed to as the head of the department."

Narcissa snapped her mouth shut with an, "Oh."

"Thank you. For caring," Hermione said. She hadn't told Narcissa the entire truth, and she knew she would get hell for it if she found out. Technically, she wasn't allowed to compete, but she could be challenged by the winner of the tournament.

"Of course," she said, placing Hermione's wand clandestinely on the desk, "Well, I just came to say goodbye, and I'm glad I can say it to both of you. I'll see you two after work."

"Bye, mum," Draco said with a wave.

"Bye, Narcissa," Hermione said, pulling out her lunch.

Draco turned to look at her with a smirk on his face. "How big of a lie was that?"

"It wasn't a lie at all," Hermione insisted, digging into her lunch.

"And dragons don't breathe fire," he retorted, rolling his eyes, "I promise I won't tell."

She sighed, relenting to his request. "It wasn't a lie. I'm not allowed to compete but the winner _can _challenge me. I just left out that last bit."

Draco hid his smile behind his book, eating his lunch and reading at the same time. He wanted to finish eating quickly so he could get back to helping, but he also wanted to finish the book so he could return it to Luna. Hermione finished her lunch first, scooping her wand off her desk and grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. She shrugged it on as she left, waving goodbye to Draco for the next few hours. She wasn't exactly looking forward to meeting with Kingsley but that was nothing new.

* * *

"Bella?" Narcissa asked softly as she pushed open the door to her room.

"I'm awake, Cissy," she mumbled.

If Narcissa didn't know her sister as well as she did, she would say Bellatrix seemed tired. As it was, she was adept at reading her sister and could tell something was occupying her thoughts. Something that her sister found troubling, for whatever reason.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing dark hair back.

Bellatrix sighed, turning her face away. She knew Narcissa would pick up on her mood, even if she wished she didn't. Talking about it meant telling her everything because Narcissa wouldn't be satisfied with a simple answer.

"I didn't want to tell you this, because I know you and Andy are trying to stay positive, but I can't feel anything. My brain knows what it _should_ feel like and it's been creating artificial sensations to make up for it," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Oh," Narcissa deflated, her shoulders sagging, "I see."

She immediately felt guilty for keeping it a secret for so long, or for telling her at all. "Don't give up on me, Cissy. Last night while Hermione and I were talking, she touched my arm and I could feel it. I can even move my shoulders, see?"

Bellatrix demonstrated that she could, in fact, shrug her shoulders up and down. Narcissa watched the action in amazement. It had been so long without progress, and she knew it would take time, but she had been getting discouraged. She was ready for her sister to be back to her full self again and it was feeling like it might never happen.

"I don't know what it means, Cissy. I might still not be able to move more than this, but don't give up now. Please."

Narcissa had never heard her sister sound so vulnerable before. She had always maintained a tough exterior that not even her sisters could fully get past. It had been how she had protected them because she had to. Bellatrix always had to be strong, but now, there was no fight she had to win and she let her facade fall. Narcissa could help but feel chilled at what it meant. Her sister was stubborn and would've maintained her facade out of pride and stubbornness, which meant someone had made it past her defenses. Hermione was the only person she could think of that would outmatch Bellatrix's stubborn tendencies.

"I won't, Bella," she promised, "It's nice that Hermione is stubborn enough to talk some sense into you."

"To be fair, she wasn't more stubborn than me, she used my own logic against me," Bellatrix clarified.

"Even better." Narcissa smiled down at her sister, ignoring the scandalized expression on her face. "She was very distracted this morning, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Bellatrix snapped her mouth shut, feeling her cheeks flush with heat. "Nope."

"Bella," she pleaded, widening her eyes.

"Fine, yes, I might know why," Bellatrix relented with a groan, wishing she could smother herself with a pillow. "But it isn't my place to tell."

Narcissa sighed. "You're right, so why don't you tell me how _you _feel about what happened."

Narrowed eyes were her only response for a while, but Narcissa was incredibly patient, more patient than Bellatrix. "Ugh, and you call me stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn, I'm patient," Narcissa corrected with a victorious smirk, "So, tell me."

"I don't know, there's a lot to think about," Bellatrix muttered lamely.

"Like?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Like the fact that I'm old enough to be her mother, which I know doesn't really matter because we live longer than Muggles, but I don't know if Hermione would feel comfortable with that. Then there's the fact that I tortured her during the war, not to mention the heaps of other crimes I've committed as a Death Eater. The fact that I'm bound to the bed for the foreseeable future. And that's _if _she likes me back."

Narcissa was wholly unprepared for the rush of words that left her sister so fast, it all seemed like one sentence. "Bella, I really don't think _any _of that matters to Hermione. She hasn't run away from you and she's fully aware of everything you've done. As for whether she likes you back, well, you won't know if you don't try."

"How can I try, Cissy?" she asked, wishing she could press her palms to her eyes, "What do I have to offer her?"

The urge to literally slap the sense back into her sister overwhelmed Narcissa, and she briefly considered it. "Stop being ridiculous. You don't have to bribe her into liking you, and I'm certain such a thing wouldn't work on Hermione, anyway. You are more than a person trapped in a bed, Bella. Hermione knows that."

Bellatrix sighed, not wanting to admit that Narcissa was right. Hermione wouldn't care if she would never be able to move. _If _she felt the same way. Bellatrix was actually just afraid. It was easier to make up excuses for why Hermione _shouldn't _like her than to actually admit that she might have feelings. That she did have feelings.

* * *

"Right, so you all know the rules," Hermione said, tapping her wand against the palm of her hand, "The brackets are up so go ahead and get started."

Her field agents clamored to their duels, tangible electricity in the air at their combined excitement. Ginny stood beside Hermione, surveying the pairs. Her duel wouldn't start for another few rounds since there wasn't enough space for more than three duels at a time. The duel would go until someone yielded or was unable to continue. Hermione made sure all her agents were skilled at wandless magic, so disarming was never considered the end of a duel, in fact, it was heavily encouraged. They weren't allowed to seriously harm one another, but they could- and did- play rough.

"Who do you think will win?" Ginny asked, watching over the duels with interest.

Hermione turned her attention from the duels to respond, "You know I can't say."

"Yeah," Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "I know. It was worth a shot, though."

"You always say that," Hermione chuckled, turning back to watch the three sets of duelers.

Ginny arched a brow at a particularly interesting tactic one of the agents used, making sure to keep it in mind in case they were partners later on. "It's always true."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head in response. Draco was about to ask a question on why the duel didn't stop when one of the duelers had disarmed their opponent when Hermione turned to him and began explaining. He nodded throughout, asking questions about the rules and why they were different from traditional ones. At some point during the explanation, one of the duels had finished, the hovering bracket magically updating itself. Ginny took her place on the training field with her opponent, twirling her wand to loosen her wrist.

The duels gradually took more time to compete as the brackets progressed. She had made sure there were no back-to-back duels for anybody until there were only two pairs left. Ginny had, as expected, been one of the finalists. She was one of the most skilled duelists in the department, as she had proved time and time again. Hawkins was the other finalist, which Hermione had suspected would be the case but she wasn't certain. There were plenty of experienced duelers that stood between him and the final round, but she knew he often came to train on his lunch break. He was one of the newer agents, so he had an intense desire to prove himself worthy of it, and he continued to do so at every turn. However, he was new enough that he had never dueled Ginny, and she often helped Hermione oversee training, so she knew where his weaknesses were. Still, he put up a fight, but Ginny never had to use her signature dueling spell, to the disappointment of the other agents.

"Do you exercise the right to challenge?" Hermione asked.

Ginny was barely breathing hard. She wanted to, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea for Hermione to be dueling. The other field agents were chanting for her to challenge, and Hermione was waiting with an expectant smirk. It was her irritating smirk.

"I challenge," she said, brushing her hair out of her face.

Hermione shrugged off her jacket, her sleeves still rolled up from earlier. "Draco, do you mind holding my jacket?"

"No, but are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, draping her jacket over his shoulder and eyeing her warily.

"I'll be fine, Ginny knows where the limit is," she answered, pulling her hair up.

He nodded, and Hermione walked out onto the training field across from Ginny. As the timer counted down on the display, Hermione rolled her shoulders and neck, maintaining a casual stance compared to Ginny's ready one. She liked to challenge herself by starting from a passive stance. Ginny could see that, despite her relaxed stance, Hermione would be ready to retaliate the moment she was attacked. The spectating agents held their breaths as the timer hit zero, neither witch moving. Ginny struck with a speed she seldom needed when she dueled the other agents. Hermione was faster, and easily deflected her trio of simultaneous stunners, quickly firing a barrage back at her.

"Merlin, I always forget how fucking _fast _you are," Ginny muttered through grit teeth as she dodged and deflected.

Hermione smirked. In reality, she knew all her agents' weaknesses when it came to dueling, Ginny's included, and could end a duel in a matter of seconds if she really wanted to. She never immediately exploited their weakness because anyone they came across would need several volleys to see it, so it would be detrimental if they were down before they even started. Instead, she made sure to point it out to them after dragging it out so she could improve their stamina. She then made sure to show them how to avoid making that mistake and had them log training hours until they improved enough. Her observational skills made her an exceptional duelist. Even when she sparred with someone new, it never took her more than three exchanges to find a weakness.

Ginny dodged, deflected, and retaliated in an attempt to create an opening. She knew Hermione could end the duel at any point, but she knew Hermione's weakness, too. It was just a matter of exposing it to an attack. If she could hit Hermione's left shoulder enough, she would dislocate it and Hermione would yield to prevent further injury. She had never succeeded before, but that didn't mean it was impossible. Hermione was acutely aware of Ginny's target and was determined not to give her an inch, all the while targeting Ginny's knees. The redhead didn't bother wasting her energy trying to disarm Hermione. She knew she could, but Hermione was just as good without a wand, so it wouldn't do her any favors.

Hermione disarmed Ginny as she was preparing to cast a flurry of spells, forcing the younger witch to adjust. Ginny could sense that she was running out of time to win. Her defense was getting sloppy and her offense was not nearly as frequent as it had been. She needed to get in a better position to stand a chance or she would quickly lose to Hermione's steady onslaught of spells. Ginny flicked her wrist sharply, casting her signature Bat-Bogey Hex. Cheers erupted from the spectators at the sight, and the distraction her spell brought gave Ginny enough time to recover and move so she wasn't where Hermione was expecting her to be. She sent a series of spells at knee-height before her spell was dispersed, hoping to catch Hermione off guard.

The moment her knee touched the ground, Hermione sent a barrage of spells toward Ginny, now able to pinpoint where she had moved to. The spell had been a good distraction and she had been forced to let a spell land so she could surprise Ginny. The younger witch hadn't expected such a rapid response and struggled to deflect all the spells Hermione sent her way. The one she wasn't able to deflect was one that she had incorrectly thought had missed her, but it actually went past her and looped around to impact the back of her left knee. She hissed as she landed hard on her knees, looking over to Hermione who was just getting up.

Ginny could continue, but she would be at a serious disadvantage and wouldn't be able to put up much more of a fight. Hermione waited patiently while she debated with herself, staying vigilant just in case. She knew the smart move would be to yield so she didn't put more strain on her knee. If she did continue, she might severely damage it and it would be a longer recovery than if she yielded now. There was no shame in losing to Hermione, especially since she had put up on hell of a fight during the tournament and their duel.

"Yield," she ground out.

Hermione shoved her wand into her pocket, scooping Ginny's off the floor and handing it to her as she slung the redhead's arm over her shoulders. "Sorry about your knee."

"It's fine, I know you've been aching to clobber me. I did come pretty close though." Ginny managed to stay lighthearted even as she had to lean heavily on Hermione to spare her knee.

"Closer than you ever have," Hermione admitted, helping her off the field.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You always say that."

"It's always true," she retorted, mirroring their earlier conversation, "Let's get you to my office and I'll have Andy come and take a look at your knee."

Ginny nodded, hissing as she put a little too much weight on her knee. Hermione paused for a moment to shift more of Ginny's weight onto her. Draco followed dutifully back to Hermione's office, deciding to sling Ginny's other arm over his shoulders to help. Ginny smiled gratefully at him, not having to hop as much because Hermione and Draco essentially carried her. Hermione opened her door with her foot, guiding Ginny into her chair.

She pulled open the bottom drawer for Ginny to put her foot on, turning to them both and saying, "If Andy asks, you weren't dueling me."

"You got it, boss," Ginny laughed, "Narcissa is gonna be livid if she finds out."

"So will Andromeda," Draco pointed out.

"Which is why they don't have to know," Hermione said simply, summoning her Patronus.

The field agents that hadn't returned before them were collecting their belongings, waving goodbye to them from outside the open door. They waved in return with smiles as they waited. Hermione had perched on the edge of her desk, swinging her legs back and forth and keeping an eye on Ginny from the corner of her eye. Draco had resumed residence of his favorite chair, draping his long legs over one of its arms and watching the door. Andromeda arrived after a few minutes, looking more frazzled than usual. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn't anything too serious.

"Honestly with the amount you two get hurt, it's a wonder you're still able to move around," she grumbled, fixing Ginny's knee with a few spells.

"At least I'm not as bad as Hermione," Ginny teased, sending the brunette a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes, not trying to hide the smile on her face. She pulled Ginny to her feet, staying close by in case she fell. The four of them were about to leave when Luna appeared in the doorway, greeting them all with a dreamy, if a bit breathless, smile.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left, Hermione, do you have a moment?" she asked, stepping into the office, "Glad to see you're okay, Ginny. And that you're enjoying the book, Draco."

"As much time as you need, Luna," Hermione answered, looking at Ginny, "Will you tell Narcissa I'll be a bit late?"

"On it," Ginny said, grabbing Draco's arm to get him to follow her.

Andromeda went with them, closing the door as they left. Hermione sat in her chair, nudging her drawer closed with the toe of her shoe. Luna sat in the chair across from her, seemingly transfixed by something around Hermione's head.

Finally, she said, "We were able to get more information, but it's not looking good. We now know that there are different factions of the Order, at least three, possibly more. The ones we have in custody are the entirety of one of them, but the members of one faction are not allowed to know the identities of the members of another. From what we know, the faction we have in custody is referred to as The Long Arm and their duty is basically to be soldiers. I spent the afternoon digging through the archives to see what I could find but so far, there's nothing. To me, it seems that one of the factions is the leader of the others. I think it would be composed of one member to represent each faction, and the leader of the factions get their orders from their representative in the central faction. I found a passing reference to it in a very old file, it looks like it predates the Ministry and it was hard to decipher accurately, but I'm fairly confident I can manage to get the rest of it. It makes sense that the third faction would be more discrete. Like spies. This faction would collect information on people of interest as directed by the central faction. They would then report their findings and the central faction would dispatch The Long Arm."

Hermione steepled her fingers in front of her, inhaling slowly through her nose. "How many factions do you think there are?"

"If I had to make a guess, I would say only three. Increasing the number of factions makes maintaining stability more difficult. I do think at one point in time, there were several factions, which led to its initial collapse. The smartest move would be to keep it small and separated so that if one person is caught, they can't give away everything," she said after a moment of thought, "But I think the central faction might have someone who organizes them. They would be the leader of the Order."

"How much does Narcissa know?" Hermione asked, leaning back in her chair and drumming her fingers on her desk.

Luna watched her for a moment, furrowing her brow at what she alone could see. "Only that there are multiple factions. She doesn't know how many because none of them knew. Other than that, everything else I told you is from digging through archives."

"Okay," Hermione nodded, feeling tension tightening her shoulders, "Thanks, Luna."

"Hermione," Luna said, standing to take her leave, "Don't do anything stupid. We'll get to the bottom of this."


	8. Changed Perspectives

**A/N: Welcome back! I've been working on chapters for my other stories as well, so it's taken longer than I thought to have any of them ready. If you're reading my two other in-progress stories, expect an update soon. **

**Anyway, I hope you're all doing well. Enjoy!**

_I'm alone with you,_

_You're alone with me_

_And I'm hoping that you see yourself_

_Like I see you_

_-I See You, _Missio

* * *

The next few days, Hermione stayed at work later than usual. Ginny would take Draco home at the end of the day and Hermione would pace her office reading through files from the archives. She would stay until almost midnight, the Ministry dark and empty save for the few Aurors but she never ran into them. Ginny had tried to convince Hermione not to stay but had quickly decided not to spend the energy. Hermione got this way sometimes and the best thing to do was to give her space and let her work it out on her own. She did make sure the brunette had dinner packed by convincing Narcissa to go along with it. Pushing Hermione would only make it worse, something Ginny had learned over the years.

Hermione threw the file onto her desk with a frustrated growl. She hadn't found anything useful in the archives, not that she had really expected to but she had hoped she would. Aside from the record Luna found, there was no mention of the Arthurian Order. Hermione dragged a hand through her hair, tired of dead ends getting in her way. She inhaled slowly through her nose, striding out of her office and closing the door a little harder than she meant to, but she couldn't deny that it was satisfying. Clearly, she wasn't going to find anything worthwhile at the Ministry.

"Perhaps I'm going about this wrong," Hermione mused to herself, coming to a stop in front of a desk.

She inhaled slowly through her mouth. "Okay, think. There are three pieces to the puzzle. I have one piece, there has to be a clue to the others. Luna said each faction gets their orders from someone in the central faction. Surely they know we have The Long Arm in custody. They were either expected to complete their task or to fail trying."

Hermione had begun pacing while she thought aloud to herself, suddenly drawing to a stop. "Unless they were supposed to get caught. Hmmm. That doesn't make sense, they put up too much of a fight. I was the target, so whoever collected the information must not have known that I can call my magic to me, but that doesn't eliminate anyone. I didn't even know! The only people that would have been able to strategize my plan of action would be people with access to my reports or someone I've worked with."

With a sharp inhale, Hermione muttered, "Oh, no. It can't be."

Her running footsteps echoed in the empty corridors, making her unease more tangible. There were only a handful of people in the Ministry with high enough clearance to access her reports that would also want her out of the way. The archive room in the Ministry was full of files and reports, dating all the way back to its inception. Rather than going to the area she had been frequenting over the past several nights, Hermione went to where her reports were filed. The benefit of having a magical archive was that everyone who handled a file was recorded, and even if you tried to make it look like you hadn't, there was always a trail. Hermione stopped in front of the boxes containing every report she'd ever filed. She presumed that the files that would be most helpful were the ones she had filed after she had transferred from being an Auror and had become a full-fledged field agent. Aside from that, she wasn't really sure where to start.

She grabbed a box at random, turning it so she could see the access history. Unsatisfied with the list, she pushed it back, grabbing the one to the right of it. Something about this box nagged at her. The only name on the access history was Kingsley, but she was certain she had looked over these files for a trial. This was the type of trail she would expect from someone trying to erase that they had ever looked at it. It either didn't work at all, or it worked too well and erased names that weren't intended to be erased. With a grunt, she pulled it from the shelf, waddling over to the nearby table and setting it down with a _thump_.

"_Finite Incatatem_," she whispered. Nothing happened, which was to be expected since whoever had accessed the file didn't want to be found, but it didn't hurt to try.

Hermione had no idea how much time had passed, or how many different spells she had tried before it finally worked. She watched with bated breath as her name appeared on the access history, followed by a name she had hoped not to see again. It seemed that she would never be rid of the woman who had made her fifth year a living hell. Hermione felt the cold tendrils of anger wrapping around her and she shoved the box back into its place, storming out of the archive room. She hadn't understood why Kingsley had allowed her to keep her seat on the Wizengamot, but he had and it seemed she was determined to destroy Hermione for what happened. She had half a mind to show up at her house unannounced and intimidate her into telling her who else was part of the Arthurian Order but she was aware that plan could easily backfire.

Instead, she took refuge in her office, slamming her fists on her desk and shouting, "Fuck! For Merlin's sake, why can't things just be normal for once?"

The force of her strike on her desk took several moments to diffuse past the anger, and she hissed as she shook her wrists out. She sighed, dropping her head and leaning her weight on her desk. Irately, she squeezed the bridge of her nose, focusing on breathing until she could calm down enough to think rationally. Umbridge would be slippery, and if she had an inkling that Hermione was onto her, things would go sideways. She needed a subtle approach. Luna could put together a report of everything that had been tampered with for her to present to Kingsley. If she could gather enough evidence against Umbridge, she would be able to bring her in for questioning. It was a risky move, but she could use Umbridge to draw out the rest of the members if she played her cards right.

"Hermione," Harry said as he knocked on her door, "I know you're in there."

"Come in, Harry," she answered, not moving from her spot.

He opened the door, approaching her cautiously. "You can't keep going like this, 'Mione."

"I need to figure this out," she said, deciding to organize the files on her desk.

"You will," he said, gently guiding her to a stop by placing his hands on her shoulder, "But you also need to rest. You've got to stay sharp, yeah?"

She sighed, leaning into his shoulder. "I'm so close to getting to the bottom of all of this."

"Remember when we were hunting Horcruxes and I tried to bear the weight of the locket by myself? This is like that. Let me bear it for the next few hours and you go home and get some sleep. You can get right back on it tomorrow," he said, sliding his arms around her shoulders and resting his chin on her head.

"Thanks, Harry," she mumbled, "How'd you know I was here?"

He smirked at her as she pulled away. "Ginny told me."

Hermione rolled her eyes, nudging him out of her office and locking it behind her. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, 'Mione," he waved.

The exhaustion didn't hit her until she emerged in Malfoy Manor, stifling a yawn as she trudged up the stairs. Wearily, she pushed open the door to the room she shared with Bellatrix, forcing herself to change into pajamas before crawling into bed. Without thinking about it, she scooted closer to Bellatrix, burying her face in her neck and holding her shoulder.

Bellatrix woke when she felt Hermione settle in bed next to her. The brunette had scarcely been around lately and part of Bellatrix's brain told her that Hermione wanted space, but she always cuddled her when she got in bed. The more logical part of her knew that Hermione was running ragged trying to get to the bottom of the attack. She nearly always fell asleep as soon as she was comfortable, but Bellatrix didn't mind. It was good enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from Hermione where they were touching and to feel her soft, even breaths against her neck.

Bellatrix spent most of her waking hours trying to move more of her body. Once she had been able to move her shoulders, her progress seemed much faster. She could wiggle the fingers on both of her hands and bend her elbows, but she couldn't quite lift them yet. The only time she didn't try to move was when Hermione was in bed when she woke up. Sometimes Narcissa or Andromeda would be there, sometimes both. It was nice to have the support of her sisters, especially now that she was finally making progress. She supposed it could have been a mental block and Hermione had made her realize she shouldn't give up so easily. One of these days, she would be able to wrap her arms around the younger witch. It was one of her strongest motivators.

Hermione stirred against her, mumbling something without waking up. Bellatrix tried to see the expression on her face, but she couldn't move her head without possibly waking Hermione as her face was buried in her neck. The grip on her shoulder tightened and Hermione mumbled something again, pressing her face firmly into Bellatrix's shoulder.

"Hermione," Bellatrix whispered, hoping to wake her from what seemed to be a nightmare.

The brunette grumbled something unintelligible and Bellatrix noticed the light sheen of sweat on her skin.

"Hermione," she said again, louder this time.

She jerked away, reaching for the wand under her pillow and pointing it at Bellatrix in the span of a blink, a spell on her lips before she realized where she was. Her chest heaved as she lowered her wand, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead.

"Sorry," she rasped, suddenly feeling very thirsty.

"Are you okay?" Bellatrix asked, ignoring the apology.

Hermione took a deep breath, leaning her back against the headboard and bringing her knees to her chest. "I made a breakthrough tonight and it's bugging me. I'm so close to getting to the bottom of this."

"You're scared you aren't gonna like what you find. And that it won't matter anyway because someone will replace them eventually." Bellatrix shifted so she could look up at Hermione, her neck at a slightly awkward angle.

She nodded, sighing into her knees. "I already don't like what I found but, yeah, I am scared of that."

Bellatrix moved her arm along the bed until her fingers brushed Hermione's. "You're strong enough to do this, you have the support you need. How many times do I have to tell you that you can lean on your friends and family?"

"You can move," Hermione breathed, gently closing her hand around Bellatrix's when she tried to pull away.

"I'm getting there, still can't really do much more than this. But you're avoiding the question." Bellatrix felt her heart skip a beat when Hermione's warm hand closed around her own.

Hermione sighed, leaning her head back. "Until it sinks in. I'm sure Cissa has told me I'm at least as stubborn as you. I guess you have your work cut out for you."

Bellatrix caught the slight smile on Hermione's face before it quickly faded. "What's on your mind?"

"Hold on." Hermione pushed herself off the bed, rummaging in the dark for parchment and a quill before growing frustrated and summoning them to her.

She crouched over the desk, scribbling something and grumbling to herself. Bellatrix, watching patiently, could only make out, "Three factions...Central leader...Representatives connect it all."

Hermione returned to the bed, sitting cross-legged facing Bellatrix and holding the parchment so she could read it. On the parchment was a triangle with one side labeled "The Long Arm," another labeled "Spies?" and the last labeled "Deciders?" A circle was inscribed in the triangle with a vertical line inside of it. The vertical line had an arrow originating from the word "Mastermind." Bellatrix struggled to read Hermione's hastily scribbled realizations, especially in the low light provided by the moon.

"The Deathly Hallows," she finally mumbled.

Hermione turned the parchment back to her, staring intently at it. "I have a plan. Sort of. I think I know who might be a member of the spy faction. If I'm right, I should be able to figure out who the other members of that faction are. I suspect they'll all be pretty powerful so they can access secrets. Once I have them in custody as well as the faction currently in custody, I can draw out the third faction. When I've figured out who they are, I can have them secretly monitored. It'll be tricky to lure out the mastermind behind it all, I'm not sure I've gotten that far yet. I need to see if Ginny is here."

Before Bellatrix finished processing all Hermione had said, the brunette was already out the door, barging into the room she used to occupy, assuming Ginny still slept there when she stayed.

"What the fuck, 'Mione?" she grumbled angrily, throwing a pillow in her general direction without looking.

"I've had a breakthrough, Gin!" she announced, ignoring the finger directed at her.

Ginny groaned, burying her face in the mattress. She took a long, slow breath when she felt the mattress dip from Hermione sitting down. The brunette witch was practically bouncing up and down and Ginny turned to look at her, a slightly grumpy expression on her face as she waited for Hermione to explain. She shoved the parchment in her face, shaking it when she stared at it. Ginny made a noise between a sigh and a groan, pushing herself up and snatching the parchment from her hands. She blinked sleepily, spelling up a ball of light so she could read it. Her brows furrowed the more she looked at it, recognizing the symbol but unable to place it.

"I've seen this before," she whispered, tracing the shapes Hermione had drawn.

"It's the Deathly Hallows," Hermione provided, "Voldemort was obsessed with them. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but I don't think it is."

Ginny dragged a hand over her face, holding the parchment back out to Hermione. "Given that most of the Death Eaters that were unaccounted for are involved, I don't think so, either. That doesn't change the fact that we don't have a clue about the rest of the members."

"We do now. I was getting frustrated with not finding anything so I talked it out with myself and I realized something. What better way to spy than to be a high ranking Ministry employee?" Hermione waited until a look of realization dawned on Ginny's face. "I went back to my old reports and it turns out that Umbridge tried to hide that she accessed one of them. I'm going to have Luna check the others in the morning."

"I never liked that woman, can't understand why Kingsley let her stay," Ginny grumbled, "So, what? We get her in custody and get the other members from her?"

Hermione nodded. "If we play our cards right, I think we can set up a trap to lure out the person behind it all. It'll be tricky, and we'll have to make sure we have all the other members in custody."

"A fake press conference! The media has been dying to know what's been going on. We'll hold a press conference once the spies are in custody. We'll keep the last faction under surveillance and bring them in during the conference, they'll probably show up to keep tabs on what we know. I bet the mastermind will, too. Aurors will be mixed in with the press and Luna, Neville, and I will be with you to keep an eye out. Once we're sure of who it is, the Aurors in the crowd will subdue the press while we apprehend them." Ginny could feel the wheels in her brain turning faster than normal after just waking up. She was proud of herself for her plan, too, it was something Hermione would come up with.

"We'll need an anti-Apparition ward, but I'm sure some of them will have portkeys, so we'll need a barrier that nullifies enchantments." Hermione frowned. "That'll take some figuring out."

Ginny hummed. "Minerva would probably help you out with that. Hogwarts might have something useful."

"Good idea," Hermione said, "I'll pop by tomorrow. You can handle things for the day, right?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, whacking Hermione with her pillow. "I managed for a month, in case you forgot already. Just let me go back to sleep."

"Okay, okay," Hermione laughed pushing the pillow away from her, "I'll see you in the morning."

She grumbled in response, half asleep as soon as Hermione was off the bed. Hermione closed the door with a fond smile, crossing the hallway to her room with Bellatrix. The faint moonlight seeping into the room illuminated Bellatrix's pale skin, making the darkness of her hair and the planes of her face more pronounced. Her thick eyelashes protected closed eyes and Hermione couldn't help but stop and stare for a second. When she realized what she was doing, she shook her head hard, crawling back in the bed. Bellatrix turned to look at her with a sleepy smile that made Hermione's heart flutter.

"Sorry," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing against her will.

The corner of Bellatrix's mouth twitched upward. "Don't be. I know it's important."

Hermione yawned, throwing her arm over Bellatrix without thinking about it and threading their fingers together. Bellatrix felt her breath catch in her throat, forcing herself not to make a sound as she stared at their interlocked hands. Hermione was already sound asleep beside her, her light breaths fanning over her shoulder. Bellatrix stifled a yawn, feeling sleep pulling her into its arms.

* * *

Minerva had been pleasantly surprised to hear from her former student. Her request to stop by was last minute, but she was more than happy to clear some time for a visit. She suspected there was a reason behind it, but that didn't mean they couldn't catch up. Hermione was as punctual as ever, stepping out of the floo just as a house-elf had set down tea and scones.

"Hermione," she greeted cheerily, embracing the witch that had wormed her way into her heart despite the trouble she had gotten into, "It's so good to see you."

"And you, Minerva," she said, squeezing the Headmistress tightly, "I've missed you. I'm not great at keeping up, I'm sorry."

Minerva waved her off, lowering herself into a chair and fixing herself some tea. "Nonsense. I know you're busy managing an entire department. It's not as if I've been very good about keeping up, either."

"How's the school?" Hermione asked, picking up a scone.

Minerva sighed into her tea. "Well, aside from DADA, everything is great. It's always been troublesome to fill the position, no one seems to want it for long. The person holding it now has already said they won't continue next year and the term just started a month ago."

"You'll find somebody," she assured, bringing her tea to her lips.

"I don't suppose you'll be retiring from the ministry before the next school year?" she asked hopefully. She had been wanting Hermione to teach it for a while now but hadn't wanted to interfere with her dream career.

Hermione laughed, setting down her tea. "I'm not sure. Recently I've been thinking about a change of pace. Working for the ministry isn't what I thought it would be and it's a little disappointing if I'm honest. I guess I expected it to be...I don't know. Things didn't get better the way I imagined they would after the war. Things are mostly still the same."

"It's easy to have all these grand ideas when you're young. And then you grow up and you realize it's not as simple as you thought. But I know you didn't ask to see me to talk about that, so what do you need?" Minerva knew exactly what Hermione was feeling. She had the wool pulled from her eyes rather roughly after her graduation and she had become a tad cynical. It was part of growing up.

She leaned back, drumming her fingers on the arms of the chair. "I was wondering if you would let me browse the Restricted Section. I'm hoping to find something to create a barrier that nullifies enchanted objects for a case I've been working on."

"Well," Minerva said, setting her tea down in surprise, "I'm not sure if we'll have anything but Madame Pince is really the one you should be asking. I know you know the way, but I'll walk with you anyway."

"I'd like that," Hermione responded with a nod.

They kept the conversation superficial as they walked through the corridors. Students were prone to eavesdropping when they heard something interesting and Minerva would rather not tempt them. Her presence had the added effect of deterring even the bravest of Gryffindors from approaching Hermione, and she knew the brunette witch would be swarmed with questions and get caught up trying to answer them. Perhaps another time Hermione would be able to linger, but she sensed that wasn't the case today.

Madame Pince had directed Hermione to a dusty section among the restricted books, unsure if there was anything that specific there, but if there was, that's where she would find it. She normally didn't have such specific requests and she was only familiar with the general topic of everything. Hermione had no problem pouring over the countless books, scanning quickly through them for any mention of what she was looking for. As her pile of candidates grew smaller and smaller, she became more and more frustrated. She had the overwhelming urge to chuck the next book she picked up, but it wasn't their fault they were useless to her. It was the writer's.

After a few hours of flipping through books and making a list of books that were mentioned, she had finally found something. It was written in what she was pretty sure was another language, so she couldn't be entirely certain it would be helpful. A few of the words stood out to her as important, so she supposed it was worth having Luna take a look at it. It was the only book she brought with her back to Madame Pince so she could take it from the library. She seemed more interested in shushing a few students who had noticed Hermione and were loudly whispering to each other, waving her away so the students would stop talking.

Hermione had no particular desire to leave Hogwarts quickly. She didn't really want to be pestered with questions from the students, but she _was _curious about who the newest DADA professor was. True to its supposed curse, each professor only lasted a year. Many found the subject difficult to teach, and others realized they would rather pursue something else. Still, she was curious to see who it was for the year, so she made her way through the corridors to the classroom, waving awkwardly at the students gawking at her. Walking through the castle that had been her second home made her feel better than she had since she joined the ministry. Even with the moving staircases, she was never lost and she always ended up exactly where she meant to go.

Slowly, she eased open the door to the DADA classroom, wincing when it squeaked. Several heads turned to look at her, including the professor. It had been a long time since she had seen Cho Chang. They hadn't interacted with each other since Umbridge had caught Dumbledore's Army, but they were civil to each other when they were in the same room. There was nothing to be mad at her for, they just weren't friends but they weren't enemies, either.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to pop in and see who was teaching," she said, tucking the book under her arm.

"Since you're here, would you mind giving the students a demonstration?" Cho asked, inviting her in with a smile.

Hermione smiled. "I don't see why not."

"Brilliant," she said explaining to the class, "The Patronus charm is cast using your happiest memory. For most people, it takes several tries to produce the basic form of it, and even more to produce a corporeal one, which takes the shape of an animal. There have been documented cases of a person's Patronus being a magical creature, but these are few and far between. The shape of your Patronus is said to reflect your personality. For example, someone with a dog as their Patronus may be protective while someone with a horse may be free-spirited."

"Well said," Hermione whispered, setting her book down on Cho's desk and rolling up her sleeves.

"As the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Miss Granger uses her Patronus to send messages quickly to her colleagues or subordinates, and to protect against Dementors when she visits Azkaban. For those of you wishing to become Aurors, you must be proficient in producing and maintaining a corporeal Patronus for long periods of time because it is mandatory for all Aurors to start as a guard in Azkaban." She turned to Hermione. "Whenever you're ready."

"_Expecto Patronum_!" she cast with a flourish, keeping the power of the spell on the weak side to demonstrate the incorporeal form.

"As you can see, the incorporeal form acts as a shield from Dementors. While it cannot be used to send messages, it is strong in its own right, able to keep Dementors at bay for as long as you can maintain the spell," Cho explained.

Hermione added her full power to the spell, a phoenix bursting from the tip of her wand in a bright flash. She nearly lost her focus in her surprise. When she had cast it on Monday, it had still been an otter, like the first time she had produced it. That had been a long time ago, and she found herself using a different memory than she normally did.

"I thought your Patronus was an otter," Cho whispered to her.

"So did I," she whispered back.

Cho cleared her throat, snapping her students out of their awe enough to listen. "For those of you who are wondering, it is possible for a Patronus to change. Simply using a different memory usually isn't enough on its own, but when combined with growth or a lapse into bad habits, the form our Patronus takes can change with us. Much like we sometimes grow out of our wand, we can grow out of our Patronus. Miss Granger's original Patronus was an otter, but as you can clearly see, it now takes the shape of a phoenix."

"If I may," Hermione said, waiting until Cho nodded to continue, "The bond between a Patronus and a witch or wizard is one of the strongest connections directly to their magic. No matter how much the form of your Patronus changes, it will always respond as if it were a part of you, so long as you treat it as such. A weakening connection to your Patronus can result in the inability to produce a corporeal Patronus. As a type of magic that stems from happiness, it is important to nurture your happiness so that your Patronus remains strong. Always use your happiest memory, even if it isn't the same as when you first produced a corporeal Patronus, otherwise it will gradually fade away."

A hand shot up in the air as the owner blurted, "Has your happiest memory ever failed to produce a Patronus?"

Hermione shook her head, leaning against the wall. "Never. There were times where it seemed like it would be impossible, like even the memory of pure happiness wouldn't be strong enough to work because of all the...unhappiness around me, but even during those times, I could at least produce an incorporeal Patronus. Even after being exposed to incredibly dark magic, my Patronus has always come to me."

"Can you produce one without a wand?" another student asked.

"Yes, as well as all of the field agents in my department. They are all proficient at wandless magic and many of them are highly skilled with nonverbal magic," Hermione answered.

Before anyone had the chance to ask another question, Cho dismissed the class, ignoring the groans of disappointment. "I'm sure you have a lot to deal with, I didn't want them to go on and on."

"It's alright, I'm under strict instructions to take it easy today," Hermione shrugged, "I'm not sure if this is too personal, but you do a great job with the class, why don't you want to teach it next year?"

"It's harder to be back than I thought. All of the memories of our classmates, classmates that are dead, it's haunting. I never imagined it would be so difficult, especially since it's been years. I really don't know how you do it."

Hermione averted her gaze to the floor, muttering, "I've kinda gotten numb to it all. After a while, it's easy to just not feel it."

"I'm not sure if that sounds better," Cho admitted.

"It's not," Hermione whispered, "I should get going. It was good to see you, Cho."

"You, too," she said, awkwardly waving to Hermione's back.

Hermione rolled her shoulders as she exited, her earlier mood gone. She navigated the corridors on instinct, not registering anything around her. It was easier not to deal with the memories that had haunted her right after the war ended. She had shoved them all into a little box and pushed it all the way to the back of her mind so she didn't have to think about it, but she had never gotten over anything that happened. Maybe it was time she started.

It made her feel slightly terrible, but she was glad Minerva wasn't in her office when she left. She wasn't in the mood for conversation, even if it was with Minerva, whom she thought of as a mentor and friend. She did leave a note letting her know that she had left so she didn't wonder. All she wanted to do was lock herself in her office and get the answers she was tirelessly searching for, but Luna would already be home by now and she needed the eccentric witch for the translation. Even though Hermione knew no one would be there, she went to the Ministry anyway. Emerging from the floo, she immediately cursed herself because the elevators wouldn't be operational. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair, tucking the book under her arm and trudging to her office. To her surprise, Ginny was waiting for her in her office, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed.

"Yup, I knew you'd come here. Don't even think about it. We are leaving and _you_ are going to _enjoy_ the weekend _without working_," Ginny said, walking forward and grabbing Hermione's arm to drag her out of the office.

"But I walked all the way here," Hermione whined, trying to pull against Ginny's insistent tugging, "And it isn't even late."

"You could've gone home and saved yourself the trouble," she replied, not relenting.

Hermione sighed, grumbling, "Fine, at least let me put this on my desk."

Ginny let go, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as she watched Hermione place the book on her desk and walk back toward her.

"Happy?" she grouchily asked.

"Very," Ginny smirked, throwing her arm over Hermione's shoulders, "Come see the house this weekend."

"Yeah, okay," she mumbled, casting a longing look back at her office.

Ginny could tell Hermione wasn't in the mood to talk, so she let silence settle between them, keeping her arm over Hermione's shoulders. Something was clearly bothering her- clear to Ginny, at least- but if she didn't bring it up it meant she didn't want to talk about it. Ginny would wait until Hermione was ready to talk about whatever it was. Hermione found herself leaning into Ginny slightly, appreciating the physical comfort. She pushed Hermione into the floo first, intent on making sure she went home.

"I don't want to babysit you, 'Mi. Spend some time with Bellatrix. Come to the house tomorrow around lunch. And for Merlin's sake, please relax," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded, noticing the exhaustion surrounding Ginny. Had she really been causing that much worry for her friend?

"You relax, too, Gin. Thanks for always being there," Hermione responded.

She uttered her destination as she let go of the floo powder, actually glad to not be working. It was the easiest thing to do, but even she needed breaks, though she never did want to admit it. Narcissa was waiting for her in the foyer, no doubt to make sure she came home and stayed home. Hermione offered her a sheepish grin, welcoming the hug and burying her face in Narcissa's shoulder.

"Is everything okay?" Narcissa asked, stroking her hair.

Hermione nodded, inhaling deeply. "Just...I don't know."

Narcissa held Hermione by the shoulders, pulling away so she could look at her. "How about you go on up and sit with Bella? I'll have dinner sent up to you."

"Narcissa?"

"What is it, dear?" she asked, cupping Hermione's face maternally.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times, settling on, "Thank you for taking care of me when I don't take care of myself."

She could tell it wasn't what Hermione had really wanted to say, but that didn't make the sentiment any less real. "It's my pleasure, Hermione. Go on, now."

Hermione smiled weakly at her, allowing her to urge her to the stairs with a gentle hand on her back. She made her way up the stairs, taking longer than usual. She would stop every now and then to observe the paintings on the wall. She had already seen them all countless times, but she was stalling. Hermione knew she would want to talk to Bellatrix, but she wasn't ready to talk about what was really on her mind and she didn't see the point in dancing around the issue. Not with Bellatrix.

The dark-haired witch was awake and sitting up when Hermione finally reached their room. She was fidgeting with her hands, and Hermione almost thought she looked a little nervous. There was no reason she could think of for Bellatrix to be nervous, but she had to admit it was endearing.

She drew her attention with a whispered, "Hey, Bella."

The distant expression on her face was replaced with a content smile as she turned to look at the brunette. "Hey, Hermione."

"How does it feel to be sitting up?" she asked, toeing off her shoes and transfiguring her clothes into pajamas.

Bellatrix shrugged, a smile still on her face. "It's better than lying down all the time, but Narcissa still had to help me."

"You'll get there," Hermione encouraged, sitting on the end of the bed with her back against the post and her legs stretched out so she could face Bellatrix.

"Wanna talk about it?" Bellatrix asked, easily picking up on Hermione's mood.

Hermione sighed, banging her head softly against the bedpost. "No. Yes. I should."

When Bellatrix didn't say anything, Hermione continued, "I'm sure you've noticed that I tend to...avoid things I don't want to talk about. Mainly by throwing myself into work."

She hugged her knees to her chest as Bellatrix nodded. "It's been years since the war ended, and I still haven't...worked through everything. I haven't wanted to. It's easier to just...pretend it never happened, but I can't do that forever."

"Even if you could, you shouldn't," Bellatrix whispered, wanting to be able to move next to Hermione so she could comfort her, "Will you sit next to me?"

Hermione hesitantly moved next to Bellatrix, leaning her head against her shoulder when a slim arm slid over her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly. "I know. I'm not sure how to feel about it all. Or where to start."

"Start wherever you want, Hermione, whenever you're ready."

Hermione closed her eyes, taking several moments to think. "So much happened, and I was just a kid. I thought it was exciting, it made me feel special. And as I got older I realized it sucked to be thrust into a war that I had no business fighting. We were lucky to make it out alive, and I feel stupid for thinking things would actually be different when we won. At first, I was too young to understand my own mortality, but looking back, I...I was just some dumb kid rushing into danger with little regard for my safety because I believed my motives were just."

"You're far from stupid," Bellatrix reassured, nudging Hermione's head with her chin, "All of that is understandable. As children, we don't understand the way things actually work. Things are more complicated than we think they are when we're kids."

"I guess I'm stalling," Hermione mumbled.

"Nothing wrong with that. We have time," Bellatrix whispered.

Hermione shifted so her head was leaning against Bellatrix's collarbone. Bellatrix brought her other arm around Hermione, smiling when the brunette linked their hands together. She fidgeted with Hermione's fingers, letting her have some silence to think. By the time a house-elf brought up dinner, Hermione was partially asleep, still leaning against Bellatrix's chest and breathing softly.

Bellatrix was hesitant to wake her, but she knew Hermione and figured she hadn't eaten since breakfast, so she woke her with a whispered, "Hermione, it's time to eat."

Hermione blinked slowly, her awareness seeping in against the sleepiness. "Oh, Merlin, I am so sorry, that cannot be comfortable for you!"

She moved to sit up but Bellatrix tightened her arms around Hermione, whispering, "Stay."

"Are you still unable to feel anything?" Hermione asked, genuinely curious, as she relaxed back into Bellatrix, tilting her head up slightly to look at her.

"Just you," she answered, smiling down at her.

Hermione had a wondrous expression on her face as she looked up at Bellatrix. No matter how many times she looked at Bellatrix, she was always amazed. She had spent so much time memorizing the features of her face and the more she looked at her, the more she noticed. It helped that she was closer than she usually was, too. She saw now that Bellatrix had a tiny scar near her right eye, perpendicular to her cheekbone and almost invisible. It must've been from a long time ago, maybe some debris from a _Bombarda _had hit her during a duel. Without thinking, she reached up to trace it, causing Bellatrix to jump when her fingers brushed against her skin.

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled her face reddening.

"You sure do apologize a lot," Bellatrix teased, taking great pleasure in watching Hermione's face grow even redder, "I'll tell you if you ever need to apologize."

Hermione nodded, her mouth dry. Bellatrix's lips had curled up in a teasing smirk and the way she was looking slightly down at Hermione had her thoughts wandering.

"Hermione," Bellatrix whispered. She was doing her best not to stare at the brunette too much, but the awe that she expressed when she looked at Bellatrix was always so open. She found it difficult to keep her gaze from roaming to her lips, or to keep from searching brown eyes for...something. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew she would know it when she found it.

"Y-yes?" she asked, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Your dinner," Bellatrix answered, tilting her chin to the nightstand on Hermione's side.

"Right!" Hermione turned to grab the plate, nearly spilling it onto the floor in her rush. "What about your dinner?"

Bellatrix steadied her, appreciating the muscle tone in Hermione's arm. She scrunched her face as she said, "I had my potions earlier."

"Do you want to try some?" She settled so she was leaning against Bellatrix, holding the plate up.

She thought for a moment. It had been a long time since she had tasted any real food. She wasn't even sure she could hold a fork anymore. Although it would be good practice to get her body working, but lifting her arms was still no easy feat. She had no desire to eat, even though it smelled good. And looked good.

"Maybe another time," she finally said, "I'm sure you skipped lunch and hunted through the Hogwarts library without even realizing the time."

Hermione squeezed her lips together, her cheeks turning pink. She didn't even bother responding. There was no point in denying it, anyone who knew her would be able to tell. Besides, now that she had started eating, she realized how hungry she was. She let her thoughts wander back to work as she ate, frowning at her food.

"Stop it," Bellatrix chided, bumping her chin gently against the back of Hermione's head, "No thinking about work."

"But-"

"I said no," she said, her tone sharpening in a way that sent chills down Hermione's side.

She swallowed hard, nodding and asking, "Do you miss eating food?"

"I'm not sure if I really remember what food even tastes like. When I was little my favorite food was strawberries. I used to sneak into the kitchen late at night and try to take some, but the house-elves always caught me." She laughed. "When I went to Hogwarts I would always go into the Kitchens between classes or before bed and get a handful of strawberries."

Hermione laughed, resting her plate on her lap. "My dad would always make cream horns at Christmas. It was the only time he made them so I would eat as many as I could without puking."

A beat passed before Hermione mumbled, "I don't think I'll ever be able to undo erasing their memories. They'll never know who I am, who I grew up to be. I'll never get to eat my dad's cream horns again."

Before Bellatrix could respond, a sob tore through Hermione. She buried her head in her hands, almost forgetting about the plate in her lap. This was why she hadn't wanted to think about everything that happened, she didn't want to feel the way she felt now. Cool hands made their way up her arms, gently pulling her hands away from her eyes. Bellatrix didn't say anything to her, but she did call for a house-elf to take the plate back to the kitchen. It was nearly empty anyway, and she doubted Hermione would have an appetite before it got cold, even with the warming charm on it. As soon as it was gone, she turned to Bellatrix, burying her face in her shoulder and letting her tears flow freely. The older witch sat there, holding Hermione as tightly as Hermione was holding her and letting her cry.

"Is it wrong to hate them?" Hermione mumbled with a sniffle.

"Hate who, cub?" Bellatrix whispered, hoping Hermione didn't mind being called cub.

The brunette's heart flipped before she made it stop, telling herself Bellatrix was just comforting her and that it didn't mean anything. "Dumbledore and Voldemort."

She thought for a moment, chewing her lip. "No, I don't think it's wrong. But don't let them ruin your goodness, especially since they're both dead. But do you really hate them?"

"No," Hermione grumbled, "But sometimes I wish I could. It would be easier."

"Let me tell you something," Bellatrix whispered, lacing her fingers through Hermione's, "Hatred is a hard thing to hold onto. It's exhausting, it tears you apart from the inside until you don't even recognize yourself when you look in a mirror. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I'm just so angry at them," she muttered, tightening her grip on Bellatrix.

Bellatrix squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Are you angry at them, or yourself? I'm not trying to make you feel bad, just so you know, but you made the decision to erase your parent's memories. You knew what you were doing, and you might've felt like it was the only way to keep them safe, but you still made the choice to do it."

"It's not fair that you can read me so well," Hermione huffed, "Right now, I would give anything to go back and just tell them to go somewhere far, but I didn't want anyone to find them because they remembered me, I didn't want them to worry about whether I was okay. _I _didn't want to worry about _them_. It seemed like the best option at the time."

"Decisions can be like that. Sometimes we don't see an alternative until it's too late. Just make sure you learn from it. Everybody has regrets." Bellatrix's voice gradually grew softer as she spoke, almost getting lost in thought.

"I miss them." Hermione felt tears form in her eyes again and she nuzzled into Bellatrix's neck to wipe them away.

"They would be so proud of you, Hermione," she assured quietly, rubbing her thumb along the back of Hermione's hand.

She sniffled again, turning her head out of Bellatrix's shoulder to look at her neck. "You think so?"

"I know so." Bellatrix squeezed her hand again, stifling the shiver that threatened to go down her spine when Hermione's breath ghosted over her neck.

"Thank you, Bella. You always understand." She squeezed her hand back, watching the slight pulsing of Bellatrix's artery.

When Hermione yawned, Bellatrix said, "We should get some sleep."

"Do you need help laying down?" Hermione asked, tilting her head to look up at her.

"Do you mind?"

"Of course not." Hermione sat up, wiping her eyes on her sleeve before supporting Bellatrix's knees and back.

"Would you mind putting me on my side?" she asked, looping her arms around Hermione's neck.

"Which?" she asked, balancing her so she didn't fall.

"Can I face you?" Bellatrix couldn't hide the slight tremor in her voice from her nerves, but Hermione didn't seem to think anything of it.

She placed Bellatrix on her side, laying in front of her and pulling the blanket over them. On instinct, she scooted closer to Bellatrix, humming quietly when an arm slid around her waist. She couldn't help but notice how soft Bellatrix's skin was and how nice it felt to be held by her. She nestled her head under Bellatrix's chin, lightly resting her hand on Bellatrix's hip. She felt more than heard the other woman's laughter, her own heart skipping a beat. Bellatrix pulled her closer, her breathing deepening, indicating she had fallen asleep. Hermione yawned again, her eyes closing as she felt her body relax.


	9. Bound

**A/N: Hello! I bring to you today a chapter from Bellatrix's perspective because I haven't really given an entire chapter of her perspective, just little pieces here and there. Anyway, I'm _really _excited about finally being able to post this chapter. I had a hard time getting my muse to cooperate, but once I got it started, I was able to write pretty decent chunks at a time. So, I hope that you all (my wonderful audience) are excited as I am. I appreciate you so much that I can't even describe it, your support and encouragement truly make the story worth writing.**

**I hope you're well and please enjoy!**

* * *

_Mercury rising_

_In the dead of night_

_When I look at you, yeah, I believe I come alive_

_Now something is different_

_I see it in your eyes_

_You keep it undercover_

_-Mercury in Retrograde, _Young Guns

* * *

When Bellatrix woke up the next morning, she could feel Hermione's absence. She couldn't tell how long the brunette had been gone, but she looked at the spot she had been laying, dragging her fingertips over the sheets. She missed her, she realized with a slight frown. Bellatrix grabbed Hermione's pillow, hugging it to her and inhaling deeply. She couldn't place anything in particular, it just smelled like Hermione. Burying her face in Hermione's pillow, Bellatrix let out a content sigh, her entire body relaxing.

Narcissa entered the room so quietly that Bellatrix didn't hear her until she said with an amused look on her face, "That's not creepy at all."

"Cissa!" Bellatrix said, practically throwing the pillow back to its spot on the bed, "I was just-"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at her sister as she floundered for words.

"Never mind," she grumbled, her cheeks red.

"Have you told her?" Narcissa asked, helping her sit up.

Bellatrix shook her head. "How can I, Cissa?"

"She needs you, Bella," she whispered, resting a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Not like that," Bellatrix mumbled, looking down at her hands, "I'll never be to her what she is to me."

Narcissa sighed, sliding her arm around Bellatrix's shoulders and pulling her close. "You can't know that for sure, Bella. What if something happens? Do you really want to lose her without telling her how you feel?"

"No." Her answer was so quiet, Narcissa almost didn't hear it.

"Do it on your own time, but don't put it off forever. You might even be surprised." Narcissa brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Do you know something I don't?" Bellatrix asked, looking up at her.

Narcissa shook her head apologetically. Bellatrix sighed, leaning into her side. They were quiet for a few minutes, soaking up the other's presence.

"Cissy, do you think I could try eating today?"

She was surprised by her sister's request, but she had a feeling she knew why Bellatrix was suddenly showing an interest in trying to eat again. Narcissa smiled slightly. She had been hoping her sister would try to eat something, but she had been more than fine with potions, much to Narcissa and Andromeda's dismay. They both suspected that once she started eating again, her strength would return to her faster. It would take time, and it wouldn't be easy, but they were both on the same page and would be there for Bellatrix through it all.

"You have to promise to take it slow. Maybe just a bite to see how you react, but you'll still be taking potions for a while," she answered.

"Even with magic all of this is so slow," Bellatrix sighed. Had she been anything like who she was when she was fresh out of Azkaban, she wouldn't have the patience to wait for her recovery. She knew that it would take a long time to get back to where she was, and she might still be unable to do certain things as well as she used to.

"How about I have a house-elf take you outside after?" Narcissa offered. She understood her sister's frustration, she was frustrated, too, but she did her best to hide it.

She nodded. "That sounds nice."

Narcissa smiled at her sister, calling for a house-elf to bring her a slice of bread. She tore off a piece, handing it to her sister and watching as she ate it. Bellatrix immediately felt the urge to gag, spitting it out before she could swallow it. She heaved a few times, wondering if anything would come out.

Narcissa looked at her sadly, placing a potion bottle in her hands once she recovered. Bellatrix dutifully drank it, swallowing her cough at the taste. She did this three more times before she drank a glass of water, washing all the tastes out of her mouth. In the early days of waking up and being unable to move, Narcissa had allowed her to experiment with the order in which she drank everything. It had taken her many grueling days, but she finally discovered the best way to drink them all was back-to-back to just get it over with, and follow it with a glass of water. It still wasn't great, though.

Once she was comfortably outside, Bellatrix felt like some of her freedom had returned. The trees were in the process of changing colors, exhibiting bright colors that she welcomed. It was a bit windy but otherwise nice, and she was comfortably seated in a chair near the house. She had missed being outside, and she was glad she had the chance to experience it again. Over the course of her trial, she had been held at Azkaban, a place she never wanted to return to. She always said she would rather die than go back, but it hadn't been true. She had hoped to be allowed to live, even though she had committed dozens of crimes.

She had heard that Hermione had been fighting to testify in her trial, and even though she knew they would never let her, she had to give her credit. Fighting with the Wizengamot was a difficult task, and Hermione had done it up until the point her sentence was carried out. She had been afraid, at first, of the dementors descending on her in droves. It had been instinct to fight, to bury herself as deep as she could possibly go. She never thought it would work, or that she would ever experience consciousness again.

Bellatrix thought back to the first time Hermione had stepped into her room. It reminded her what hope felt like. She had warned herself not to hope too much, but then she just kept coming back and talking to her as if she was really there and not buried under layers of consciousness. As time passed, she stopped falling so deep into her mind when Hermione left, fighting with all her might to hold herself there until she grew tired, but it had grown easier every time.

When Hermione had told her someone was trying to kill her, it felt like someone poured ice water over her. It had been the shock she needed to push through every layer until she was back in her body, for good this time. Hermione's admission had scared her, being back in her body had scared her, and she hadn't meant to pull Hermione so forcefully into her head. It happened before she even realized she had done it, and in the process, she had forged a permanent bond between them.

She wasn't sure if she regretted it. It gave her another chance when she had desperately wanted one, but Hermione still had a large part of her life ahead of her that she would spend bound to her. It would disrupt her relationships, and Bellatrix didn't want to do that to her. Hermione hadn't seemed to mind so far, but she spent so much time working that she didn't really pursue relationships. Well, Bellatrix didn't think she did.

A strong gust of wind blew by, its chill seeping into her bones. Her body shivered, and she pulled the blanket around her shoulders tighter to keep herself warm. It was dangerous for her to sit outside for too long because she couldn't feel how cold she actually was. She examined her fingertips, deciding it was best if she went in now. If she waited, she might not check her fingers frequently enough to gauge how the cold was affecting her, but she did enjoy the peace and feeling of autonomy for a little while.

A house-elf brought her inside to the library, which was empty for the time being. It was almost as nice as the one in her childhood home, but it lacked the atmosphere she associated with pureblood libraries. It was even different from how she remembered it. More light filtered into the room, and the furniture was more comfortable than she remembered. From her spot in one of the chairs, Bellatrix could see a book that was in the process of being read. She tried to summon it to her, but the book didn't budge, and she wondered if she was capable of magic to the extent that she had been prior to receiving the dementor's kiss.

She sighed, sinking into the chair. The room definitely had hints of Hermione's presence. The extra bit of light coming in through the windows because reading was always best when done by natural light, the comfier chairs for getting lost in pages, even the little stacks of books throughout the room, categorized by a system only the chooser would understand. Bellatrix recognized all the signs of a library frequented by a bookworm but she wasn't even sure when Hermione found time to read. As far as she knew, Hermione went to work and stayed well beyond the time any normal person would then came right to bed only to do the same thing again when she woke up.

"Aunt Bella?" Draco asked, tearing her from her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed him enter the library.

"Hi, Draco," she said.

"What are you doing here?" He sat down opposite her, glancing at the book on the table and scrunching his nose.

"Can you hand me that?" she asked, holding out her hand and continuing, "I was sitting outside for a bit but it was getting time to come in and I thought a change of scenery would be nice. What about you?"

He passed her the book, answering with, "I'm a little bored. Hermione is visiting Ginny and I finished the last book Luna gave me about an hour ago. I figured I would take a look through the books to see if anything caught my eye, but I didn't expect for you to be out of bed."

"It feels nice, almost like I'm normal." Bellatrix observed the book in her hands, running her fingers over the cover.

In gold, it said: _Spellweaving: The Art of Subtlety in Dueling_. It seemed like the type of book she would enjoy, and she had to give Hermione credit for her taste. Perhaps she would read it, and maybe she could discuss its contents with Hermione. From what she could tell, the brunette was about halfway through. Suddenly, a wave of tiredness washed over her, and she inwardly lamented. It had been several hours since she woke up, but she had been hoping to make it through the day without needing to sleep.

She hid her yawn behind her hand, opening the book anyway. As she read through the first few pages, she realized it was a technique she had developed on her own without coming across anything like it. She had still been perfecting it and only discovered it by accident. This book would've been a great guide to which spells were most compatible with each other. Even though she often used more advanced spells, it would've been a great foundation. It had been time-consuming to figure out which spells she could weave together, hiding the effects of one within another. Trial-and-error had been her best friend, and she often ended up sporting a few injuries that Narcissa had patched up.

Bellatrix felt herself nodding off in the chair, so she rested the book on her lap and leaned her head back a little. Draco noticed but didn't say anything, turning back to his book and staying as silent as he could while his aunt napped. Most of the time, Bellatrix didn't dream, or if she did, she never remembered it. This nap was different, and when she woke up a few hours later, her mind was chasing fragments of a scene she didn't have the words to describe. Draco was gone, and the light had faded, coloring clouds purple.

She closed the book on her lap, realizing the only way she would be able to get it onto the table was by throwing it. She looked at the book, then the table, and gently tossed it. It missed, hitting the floor with a _thud_, and she scowled at it.

"Morgana's tits," she grumbled, startling when the door opened.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were in here," Andromeda said, "Sorry to startle you."

Bellatrix sighed. "Hi, Andy."

"Go find Draco," she said to Teddy, shooing him out the door before turning to her sister and asking, "Are you okay?"

She regarded Andromeda as she sat down, studying her sister in silence. Being alone with Andy was still...awkward for both of them. They hadn't talked about what happened, they tried to pretend it had never even happened. She wasn't sure if she had built up enough trust with Andromeda to talk about what was on her mind. She didn't even like to talk about it with Narcissa. Still, Andromeda might be able to help her more than Narcissa, who was still grappling with her disillusionment of what they had been taught. Andromeda had been through it already and might be able to offer a different perspective.

"I've been...thinking...a lot lately," Bellatrix finally began, struggling to find the words she wanted to say, "If you don't mind, can I ask you about Ted?"

"I'll do my best, Bellatrix," Andromeda answered, feeling a weight settle in her stomach.

Bellatrix looked into her eyes, and Andromeda was surprised by the vulnerability within. "How did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?" Andromeda wasn't sure where her sister was going with this line of questioning, and she was trying to decipher what she was thinking.

"How you felt," she mumbled, looking down at her hands and fidgeting with them.

It clicked in her head why her sister was asking these types of questions, and as gently as she could, she asked, "Is this about Hermione?"

The question itself was silly. Andromeda knew that, but she had done it for her sister's benefit. Hermione was the only possible person this could be about. She didn't need to hear Bellatrix's response, but she waited for it anyway. It was important that this be done on Bellatrix's terms, so she sat patiently as Bellatrix clenched and unclenched her jaw, clearly struggling with admitting it to her.

"Yes," she whispered, "I've developed feelings for her, but I'm afraid. I'm...I'm afraid she won't have the same type of feelings for me."

Andromeda could see the way Bellatrix was holding back tears. Her voice had been thick with emotion and more vulnerable than she had ever heard it before. She always suspected that Bellatrix felt she could never be loved, could never love anyone. Not to mention the lies they had bought into as children, only to have them stripped away in a flash. For her, it had been Ted, and she jumped at the chance to escape her hateful home, leaving her sisters behind. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't stay because she was afraid they wouldn't believe her.

"Bella," she whispered, crouching in front of her, "When I knew I liked Ted, I wrote him a note and slipped it into his bag. I never told him in person, I was too afraid he wouldn't feel the same way. But he did, and if I hadn't told him how I felt through that note, we might not have ever been together. It doesn't matter how you go about telling her, so long as you tell her."

Bellatrix looked away, chewing on her lip. So many thoughts rushed through her head she had trouble keeping track of them all.

"It's okay to be afraid. It isn't easy. Take your time with it, maybe try writing it down. Even if you don't tell her in a note, it'll help you get your thoughts together. When you're ready to tell Hermione, do it on your terms," she said, grabbing her hand.

"Thanks, Andy," she whispered, squeezing her hand.

Andromeda smiled, moving back to her chair, picking up the book on the floor, and placing it back on the table. She sat with Bellatrix as she processed her thoughts, hoping her presence was reassuring and not intrusive. It felt like a huge step forward in their relationship. They still needed to discuss some things before they were back to the way they were as children, but they were getting closer every time. Andromeda had forgotten what it felt like for her sisters to be in her life, to support her, to support them. They partially filled the void left by Ted and Nymphadora's deaths, and she had never realized how much she had missed them until she thought it was too late. In many ways, Hermione was the only reason she had gotten them back.

"There you two are," Ginny said, poking her head into the library, "Dinner is almost ready."

As she was about to leave, Andromeda said, "Wait, Ginny. I think you might be able to help us with something."

Bellatrix shot her a glare, which she promptly ignored.

Ginny entered the library, closing the door. "Oh, don't tell me, I want to guess."

She studied their faces carefully as she approached the couch, placing her elbows on her knees and leaning forward. "It's about Hermione."

The sisters exchanged a look, Andromeda shrugging at her older sister.

"Impressive," Bellatrix said, narrowing her eyes.

Ginny shrugged, a slight smirk on her face. "Can't take all the credit, I spend a lot of time around Hermione. I'd be a pretty shite second if I didn't pick up a few things. What's she done now?"

"Nothing. Well, nothing bad. It's definitely not bad, it's good, really, really good." Bellatrix clamped her mouth shut, cursing herself for rambling and being obvious about how she felt.

Realization dawned on Ginny's face, and Bellatrix braced herself to hear something she didn't want to. Even Andromeda looked a little nervous as Ginny debated what to say. It would be a breach of trust if she told the two witches how Hermione felt about Bellatrix, and she wouldn't be telling Hermione about Bellatrix's unintentional confession. She could, however, put one of them on the right path to admitting it to the other. Hermione was consumed with work, and even though they had a productive discussion about her feelings for the former Death Eater, she was nowhere near ready to admit it. Bellatrix seemed closer to it, maybe because she had less to distract herself.

Before she could answer, Teddy burst into the room laughing. Footsteps could be heard down the corridor, and he looked around for a place to hide, laughing breathlessly. Ginny pointed behind the couch, hurrying him over and pressing a finger to her lips, which she directed at Andromeda and Bellatrix.

Hermione entered the room, greeting them with, "Where's Teddy?"

Ginny shrugged, trying to fight the smile that was threatening to give him away. Bellatrix and Andromeda looked at her with faux clueless expressions. She smiled softly at Bellatrix before remembering what she was doing in the first place. She tiptoed behind their chairs, peering behind them in an attempt to catch him.

Teddy, at Ginny's direction, crept behind her, waiting until she was looking behind his granny's chair to jump on her back. Amused smiles were on the three other witches' faces and he giggled as Hermione straightened, reaching her arms back so he didn't fall.

"Got you, Hermione!" he giggled, holding tightly to her shoulders.

She sent a playful, betrayed look at Ginny, Andromeda, and Bellatrix as she said, "You were so quiet I didn't even hear you behind me."

"Now you have to teach me that spell! You promised!" he said, loosening his grip so he could slide down to the ground.

Andromeda fixed her with a stern look.

"Erm, it's nothing bad, Andy. It's a harmless one, and really simple. You know I wouldn't teach him anything that might hurt someone," she rambled, feeling her cheeks flush.

Ginny and Bellatrix shared an amused look as Andromeda continued to stare Hermione down.

"It's just a flowering spell, Andy," she insisted, steadying herself on the back of Bellatrix's chair as Teddy wrapped his arms around her legs.

"After dinner," was all she said, and Hermione sighed in relief.

"Narcissa is gonna be so mad it took so long, Hermione mumbled.

Bellatrix was the only one who heard and she laughed, turning her face up to the brunette and saying, "I think she'll be happy to have us all there."

"You're having dinner with us?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"I will be present, but I won't be eating, yet. Although I'm going to need some help getting there."

"Hermione and I can carry you," Ginny offered, standing and ruffling Teddy's hair as she passed him.

Ginny ignored the look Hermione directed at her. It went unnoticed by everyone else, and she crouched next to Bellatrix's chair for the witch to throw her arm over her shoulders. Hermione did the same, looking at Ginny so they could coordinate their efforts. They both looped an arm around one of Bellatrix's legs, nodding to each other and lifting. Bellatrix tightened her grip on them, terrified for a moment that they would drop her on her arse.

"Doors, please," Hermione muttered to Andromeda and Teddy, as they exited the library, its doors still open.

Andromeda closed the doors behind them while Teddy rushed ahead, leaving open doors in his wake. Bellatrix was amazed by the coordination between Hermione and Ginny without either of them speaking a word to each other. Once, she had been like that with both of her sisters, but that had faded given their history and the only person she felt that connected to was Hermione. Not that it mattered, because she couldn't really move. She would someday, though.

"Thanks," she said once she was settled in a chair at the table.

"She needs a bit more time before you tell her," Ginny clandestinely whispered to her, sitting next to her.

Bellatrix felt her heart clench in her chest. She wasn't sure if that meant Hermione was dealing with her own feelings, or if she returned them, or if it was just because so much else was going on, but she took it as a good sign. Ginny and Hermione were close, and she clearly wanted what was best for Hermione. Bellatrix had been right to think that it wasn't a good time to tell her, and she wasn't ready, yet, anyway. In time, both of them would be ready for the confession, and Ginny seemed to think it was in Hermione's best interest to hear it.

She was mostly consumed by her thoughts as everyone ate, but she did occasionally join in on the conversation if she heard something that caught her attention. She tried to keep her glances toward Hermione to a minimum, but she hadn't seen her interact with everyone before, and it only made her more amazing in Bellatrix's eyes. She got along so well with everyone, diffusing any tension that happened to form easily. Hermione was the bridge that brought them all together, and despite the fact that they had torn apart by the war, they were slowly healing under her care. Bellatrix figured that Hermione didn't even realize what she was doing, but as the meal came to a close, she noticed how much more _right _everything felt. As if some event long ago had derailed them and they were finally back on the right track.

Hermione's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked over at the brunette, realizing she had been trying to get her attention for some time. "What did you say?"

"Do you want to join us in the library or do you want to go upstairs?" she repeated softly.

Bellatrix looked around, realizing they were alone in the Dining Room. "I'd like to join you, but you don't have to carry me, I can ask a house-elf."

"They're busy cleaning up from dinner, it'll be easier if I just take you. It's not that far," Hermione said, hoping it didn't sound like a lame excuse to hold Bellatrix in her arms.

She nodded, muttering, "Okay."

As Hermione scooped her up, she wondered if there was more to her reasoning than she let on. It seemed almost like she _wanted _to carry her, but she couldn't be sure. That didn't stop her from resting her head on Hermione's shoulder, awed by the muscles moving under her skin. She could remember when she had toned muscles like Hermione had, being a Death Eater for as long as she had come with physical benefits, for sure. There were plenty of drawbacks, though. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she was sure the drawbacks outweighed the benefits. She wondered what possessed her to think it would be a good idea, but at the time, it was the only way she could be sure her sisters were safe. Even Andy.

She was brought back to reality when Hermione positioned her in a chair, taking care to make sure she was comfortable. She watched Teddy bounce up and down even as he was seated in front of the couch while Hermione got comfortable on the floor next to him. Narcissa, Ginny, and Andromeda were on the couch, and Draco was in the other chair. Ginny was recounting some of her adventures with Hermione after they were working together in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Bellatrix listened in as she watched Hermione and Teddy.

"Do you remember how I did it, or do you want me to show you again?" she asked him, pulling her wand from her sleeve.

He thought for a moment, excited to do the spell now, but he also liked watching Hermione do magic for him. "Can you show me again?"

"Come here," she said, patting her lap.

He clambered onto her lap, turning his head so he could look up at her. She placed the wand in his hand, wrapping hers around his gently.

"This is the motion you need to do," she instructed, moving the wand slowly as he held onto it, "It's very important to make sure you master the movement when you're using a wand, okay?"

"Okay," he said with a nod, practicing a few times, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth, "Like that?"

"Mhm, so now do it a little faster, like this," Hermione said, demonstrating the speed.

He copied her a few times to get used to it. She kept hold of her wand as he did, keeping her arm loose so he was in control but so she could feel that the motion was right. Bellatrix watched with a smile as she smiled fondly down at Teddy. It reminded her of when she would play with Draco before she was sent to Azkaban, but of course, he was much younger than Teddy was now. Still, Hermione was very patient with him and he was patient in return, learning eagerly from the brunette witch he so clearly adored.

"Very good," she praised, "Now when you're ready, you put the motion with the word. Do you remember it?"

He nodded excitedly, careful not to move his body too much so he didn't hurt Hermione. With a smile, he looked up at her and said, "It's _Floris_."

Bellatrix's smile broadened at his pronunciation. He was still at the age where his 'L' sounded like a 'W' but it wouldn't affect the spell as long as the motion and intention were there.

"How come you say it different?" he asked before Hermione could demonstrate.

"Everyone pronounces things a little differently, but it'll still work. What's most important for any type of magic is what you want it to do. And if you're using a wand, you need to get the motion right, but the word itself is more like a representation of what you want. It helps you focus, just like a wand does, but you don't need words or a wand to do magic," she explained.

"Will you show me?" he asked.

"I will, but I won't teach you until you're a little older. Let's focus on this for now. Picture the flower you want and put it all together, like this," Hermione made sure his attention was on the motion of the wand as she cast, "_Floris_."

Bellatrix watched as a purplish peony sprung from the tip of her wand. It was a flower she knew Narcissa had in the garden, having seen them many times over the years. It was one of her favorites out of all the ones in the garden, and she wished she could walk through the garden and smell them again. Hermione must've felt her eyes lingering because she glanced up, smiling uncertainly at her. She returned the smile as she always did, well aware of the glances from her family and Ginny. Hermione didn't seem to notice, and she turned her attention back to Teddy.

"Whenever you're ready, Teddy," she encouraged, letting go of her wand.

He held it tightly in his small hand, and the determined expression on his face made him even cuter. Hermione was great with kids, and a great teacher, taking the time to ease every doubt that was verbalized. It was a wonder she wasn't working at Hogwarts and was spending her days at the ministry. She didn't doubt that Hermione liked her job, but she didn't seem as happy as she wanted to.

"_Floris_!" Teddy cast, delighting when small blue flowers bloomed at the tip of the wand.

He looked up at Hermione, who congratulated him and whispered something in his ear. Everyone congratulated him, and he smiled as he carefully gathered the flowers in a bundle with his hands. He pulled them free of the wand and Hermione slid it back up her sleeve as he waddled over to Bellatrix, holding the flowers out to her.

"For you," he said shyly, hiding behind the flowers.

"Thank you. They're beautiful," she breathed, taking them from his tiny hands.

He ran back over to Hermione, whispering something in her ear. She met Bellatrix's eyes as she listened to him, almost getting distracted. When he pulled away from her ear, she opened her mouth as if to say something back to him, but nodded instead. No one had any idea what their exchange had been about, and Teddy pinched his thumb and index finger together, drawing them across his lips. Even the normally terrible secret keeper wouldn't say a word about it when they playfully asked him, and they had even tried bribing him with sweets.

He settled in Hermione's lap again, still denying every offer of late-night treats Draco and Ginny offered him. They had tried to ask Hermione, but she had just shaken her head, refusing to open her mouth. Eventually, they gave up asking. Bellatrix had the sneaking suspicion that Hermione had told him to give her the flowers, but she had been the only one to witness that part of the exchange. She wasn't sure what the second part had been about, but she was burning with curiosity. She wouldn't pry, though.

"Will you show me now?" Teddy asked, stifling a yawn.

Hermione looked up at Andromeda, who was captivated by the story Ginny was telling. "Just a little bit. It's almost bedtime and I don't want us to get in trouble."

He nodded, glancing up at his granny before looking expectantly up at Hermione. She gestured with her head to her hands, and Bellatrix watched as she summoned ice in the palm of her hand. She made it float above her palm, her other hand moving to hover over it. Bellatrix watched, enraptured by Hermione's skill. She had never met anyone so amazing. She molded the ice into shapes without a single word, glancing up at Andromeda every now and then. Teddy soon fell asleep in her lap, but she continued to make shapes out of the ice, looking up at Bellatrix with a smirk, whom she had caught staring.

Bellatrix felt her heart hit her ribcage a little harder than it usually did at the sight. Hermione, recognizing that the story Ginny was telling was coming to a close, let the ice in her hands melt until it turned into steam, pushing it up with her hands. She smoothed Teddy's hair, smiling down at him softly. Bellatrix's heart melted at the sight, and she briefly wondered what it would be like to have children with Hermione before she quickly banished the thought. Those were thoughts she absolutely should not entertain.

"Andy," Hermione whispered once Ginny was telling her story, gesturing her head to Teddy, "He knocked out a while ago."

"I guess we should be going," Andromeda said, leaning down and scooping Teddy into her arms.

"Don't be silly, Andy, it's much too late. Just stay here. You, too, Ginny. I insist," Narcissa said, leaving no room for argument.

Draco stood up, offering to carry Teddy. "I'll show you to a room."

Narcissa and Ginny shared a look, both of them bidding the other two witches goodnight. Hermione stayed on the floor across from Bellatrix's chair, leaning back against the couch. A soft expression was on her face, one Bellatrix had seldom seen from her. She looked relaxed and at peace, and Bellatrix found her to be even more beautiful when she wasn't occupied by her worries.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Hermione asked.

Bellatrix shrugged, unable to keep her eyes from wandering over Hermione. "It's nice being out of bed, but I've had a busier day than normal so I probably should lie down."

"Great, I'm starting to feel a little tired," Hermione said, using the couch to push herself up.

She scooped Bellatrix into her arms effortlessly, though Bellatrix could see the signs of sleepiness on her face. Her eyes were a tad bloodshot, and she still had dark circles under her eyes. Bellatrix knew Hermione hadn't been sleeping much lately, not that she blamed her. Maybe she could convince Hermione to spend the day in bed tomorrow.

"Thank you for the flowers," Bellatrix whispered into her ear as Hermione ascended the stairs. She felt Hermione pause for a second longer than she normally did.

"How'd you know?" she asked, caught red-handed.

Bellatrix chuckled, rolling her eyes and saying, "Do I look like I was born yesterday? I'm immobile, not stupid."

Hermione stifled her laughter, not wanting to disturb the other occupants of the wing, but Bellatrix could feel her shoulders shake.

"You're welcome," she whispered, almost sounding nervous.

When they reached the door, Bellatrix reached out to turn the knob, pushing it open for Hermione. She smiled gratefully, kicking the door gently closed behind her. Bellatrix wasn't sure how she felt about returning to bed. It had been such a nice day out of it, especially after being stuck in it for so long, but once Hermione had helped her get comfortable, she realized just how long it had been, and how tired she was. She yawned as Hermione crawled into bed with her, immediately pressing close and winding her arms around her. Warmth spread through Bellatrix as Hermione buried her face in her neck, tightening her grip on her. She draped her own arms over Hermione, resting them on her lower back.

"I missed you today," she confessed softly, almost as if she were afraid to tell her.

Bellatrix blinked in surprise. "I missed you, too. It was nice seeing you with my family."

"It was nice to have you there. I've thought about suggesting it before, but I didn't want you to feel pressured into anything," Hermione mumbled, tilting her head up slightly.

Her breaths hit Bellatrix's jaw, and she had to fight the shudder that threatened to work its way through her body. "I tried to eat today. I haven't had food in so long that I ended up spitting it out before I finished chewing."

"I'm proud of you for trying," she whispered.

Hermione had no idea how much that meant to Bellatrix, and she swallowed hard. She couldn't remember the last time anyone was genuinely proud of her, especially for something that seemed so simple. It wasn't simple, but Bellatrix knew just those words would keep her motivated to keep trying. She squeezed Hermione, trying to convey how much she appreciated it without saying anything.

"Hermione," she whispered, on the verge of sleep.

"Hmm?"

"I wanna talk about being bonded tomorrow," she muttered.

She felt Hermione nod hesitantly, squeezing her waist reassuringly. Bellatrix wasn't sure how much Hermione knew about it already, but she wanted to tell her about it, anyway. And it would give her an opportunity to gauge how she felt about it. She yawned, clearing her thoughts so she could sleep.

Hermione was still in her arms when she woke the next morning, something she wasn't used to but could definitely _get_ used to. She couldn't tell if the brunette was awake yet, but she didn't want to disturb her in case she was still asleep so she stayed quiet. Hermione was usually an early riser- by Bellatrix's standards, anyway- but she wasn't sure if it was habit or if Hermione usually set an alarm to wake up. She couldn't tell what time it was, unable to turn over to see the window, which had the curtains drawn so it wouldn't have mattered. She could make out parts of the room, which meant the sun must at least be partially up.

Bellatrix wasn't sure how much time had passed before Hermione began to stir in her arms but as she did, her face brushed against her chest and she had to remind herself to breathe normally. Hermione didn't seem to notice, not fully awake yet. She waited until Hermione pulled away enough to tilt her head up, smiling sleepily at her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Bellatrix whispered, smiling back at her.

"What time is it?" she slurred, her brain still foggy with sleep.

Bellatrix shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's Sunday, which means no working, just resting."

"Bella," she protested weakly.

"No. You and I have other things to talk about," she said firmly.

Hermione pressed her head into her pillow, talking into it but her words were so muffled that Bellatrix couldn't make them out. Bellatrix waited with a raised brow until Hermione turned her face out of her pillow, pouting up at her.

"You and Ginny are gonna be the death of me," she repeated childishly.

"I think we're the ones keeping you from working yourself to death, cub," Bellatrix corrected, reaching out to brush the back of her hand across Hermione's cheek.

She marveled at the way Hermione sighed, pushing into her hand. Her skin was smooth and she couldn't help but be distracted by it for a minute or two.

"I just want this to be over with, Bella," she whispered, closing her eyes so Bellatrix couldn't see the emotions swirling in them.

"Forcing yourself to solve this is like if I tried to force myself to walk," Bellatrix whispered to her, "It won't speed up the process, just frustrate you."

Her breath caught when Hermione's eyelids fluttered open, revealing honey-brown eyes looking up at her. "That sounds like something I'd tell you. Okay, I will do my best not to think about it today."

"Promise?" she asked, running her thumb along Hermione's cheekbone absently.

"I promise."

The words that left Hermione's mouth were soft and quiet, and vulnerable in a way Hermione had never expressed to her before. Bellatrix had, of course, seen Hermione lose her composure and break down under the weight she carried, but hearing her promise to try not to think about work left Hermione without her main shield. It forced her to come to terms with what she was feeling, and Bellatrix was honored that Hermione trusted her enough to willingly drop her shield and keep it down while they talked.

"What do you know about being bonded?" she asked, pulling Hermione into her arms in an attempt to make her feel safe.

"Just what Andy and Cissa explained. I haven't had time to look into it," Hermione whispered, pressing her forehead to Bellatrix's shoulder.

Bellatrix stroked her hair, eliciting a sigh so quiet she might've imagined it. "We are bonded by our magical cores. Almost like how Harry and Voldemort's wand cores were made from feathers from the same phoenix. You already know we can only recover fully when we're close to each other."

She paused, and Hermione tilted her head up to look at her as she thought about how she should proceed. She continued to stroke her hair absently, staring at a spot on the wall without really seeing it.

"The reason I can feel you, just you, Hermione," Bellatrix swallowed, "Is because we are bonded. And it isn't just...physically. We also share a mental connection, deeper than even the most advanced Legillemancy."

"How come I haven't felt you in my head?" Hermione asked.

"I would not invade your privacy like that," she quickly assured, looking back at the younger witch, "I've been keeping my mental walls up to keep our minds separate until you could decide if it's something you wanted. And your walls are pretty impressive."

She wondered if Hermione's cheeks actually turned pink or if it was a trick of the light.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered shyly.

Bellatrix nodded, cupping the brunette's cheek tenderly.

"Would you have been able to get past them if you tried?" she wondered aloud, her curiosity never ceasing to amaze Bellatrix.

She hesitated, wanting to be honest but not wanting to freak Hermione out. "Yes, I could if I tried. I _was _trained by Voldemort, who made sure I was masterful at every art of magic he knew. But even if I hadn't, the bond would let me through if I pushed hard enough."

"Can I...Can we...try it?" Hermione whispered, and Bellatrix sensed that she was nervous the answer would be no.

"I'm ready when you are," she answered reassuringly.

Hermione relaxed, relieved. "How does it work?"

"Do you trust me?" Bellatrix asked, stalling because she was nervous about entering Hermione's mind. Talk about vulnerability.

She didn't hesitate to nod. "Of course I do. Do you...trust me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she whispered with a chuckle.

Hermione smiled, her cheeks turning pink again.

"I'll let you push me out if you feel like you need to, and you need to do the same for me. Just relax and reach out to me with your thoughts," Bellatrix instructed.

She watched Hermione close her eyes in concentration, her hand still cupping her cheek. Slowly, she let her mental barriers fall so their minds could connect, feeling Hermione's tentative presence at the boundary of her mind. She mentally reached out, brushing her mind against Hermione's. She pulled away slowly, not wanting to overwhelm her but hoping Hermione understood she was welcome to follow. Bellatrix waited for her, more patient than she had ever felt in her life. Hermione eased into her mind and Bellatrix could feel her anxiety as if it were her own. There were other emotions, too, but the anxiety was the strongest.

_It's okay_, she thought to Hermione. She heard a gasp escape Hermione and she wasn't sure if it was mental or verbal.

_Are you sure?_

_Yes._

Emboldened by Bellatrix's reassurance, Hermione moved further.

Shyly, she thought, _Hi._

Bellatrix's chuckle echoed through her mind. _Are you nervous?_

_A little_, she admitted.

_You aren't intruding. This is a neutral space, you won't see anything if you stay here. You're welcome to be here whenever the connection is open. _She sent calming waves to Hermione, wanting her to relax.

_What makes it different from regular Legillimancy? _she asked, pressing her face into Bellatrix's shoulder.

Bellatrix could feel some of Hermione's emotions inadvertently seeping out. Her anxiety was mostly gone, replaced by curiosity and what Bellatrix would describe as affection. She kept her emotional barriers up so Hermione could only feel what she let out, feeling her heart soar.

_I can feel some of your emotions, Hermione_, she informed her.

Panic surged through the connection and Hermione pulled out of the space Bellatrix had created for them. Bellatrix knew she was fighting the desire to run from the room, and she loosened her arms around the younger witch so she had the option. She hoped Hermione wouldn't run, and she almost wished she hadn't told her, but she wanted Hermione to be aware of it so she could keep things private if she needed to.

"How much did you feel?" Hermione asked quietly, keeping her head hidden in Bellatrix's shoulder.

"Curiosity, a little anxiety, and...affection." Bellatrix whispered the last word, almost afraid to say it out loud.

She felt Hermione nod, realizing how tense they both were. Bellatrix forced herself to relax, hoping it would put Hermione more at ease. Hermione looked up at her, opening her mouth, and Bellatrix suspected she knew what was about to leave the brunette's mouth.

"You don't have to apologize," she whispered, stroking her cheek tenderly.

Hermione's mouth snapped shut, and she gave a small nod.

"It's different from Legillimancy because we don't have to be nearby to enter each other's minds," she answered aloud.

"So, if I was at work?" Hermione began nervously.

Bellatrix nodded, "We'd still be able to chat."

"Would you?" she asked, looking up at her, then away, then back up.

"Only if it wouldn't be a distraction."


End file.
